MICROELECTROMECHANICAL GYROSCOPE WITH ROTARY DRIVING MOTION AND IMPROVED ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES

• US 20130180334A1
• Filed: 03/07/2013
• Published: 07/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Coronato, Luca, Cazzaniga, Gabriele, Zerbini, Sarah
• Granted Patent: US 8,733,172 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/504.12
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/56 Turn-sensitive devices using vibrating masses, e.g. vibratory angular rate sensors based on Coriolis forces
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5712 the devices involving a micromechanical structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

An integrated microelectromechanical structure is provided with: a die, having a substrate and a frame, defining inside it a detection region and having a first side extending along a first axis; a driving mass, anchored to the substrate, set in the detection region, and designed to be rotated in a plane with a movement of actuation about a vertical axis; and a first pair and a second pair of first sensing masses, suspended inside the driving mass via elastic supporting elements so as to be fixed with respect thereto in the movement of actuation and so as to perform a detection movement of rotation out of the plane in response to a first angular velocity; wherein the first sensing masses of the first pair and the first sensing masses of the second pair are aligned in respective directions, having non-zero inclinations of opposite sign with respect to the first axis.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a substrate having a first reference axis and a second reference axis orthogonal to the first reference axis;

a driving mass elastically coupled to the substrate, the driving mass having a center, the driving mass including;

a first opening positioned on the first reference axis spaced from the center of the driving mass;

a first sensing mass positioned in the first opening;

a second opening positioned on a third reference axis that is between the first reference axis and the second reference axis, the second opening being spaced from the center of the driving mass; and

a second sensing mass positioned in the second opening, the second sensing mass having a center of gravity on the third reference axis.