INTEGRATED MICROELECTROMECHANICAL GYROSCOPE WITH IMPROVED DRIVING STRUCTURE

• US 20150000400A1
• Filed: 05/09/2013
• Published: 01/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Cazzaniga, Gabriele, Coronato, Luca
• Granted Patent: US 8,950,257 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/504.12
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5747 each sensing mass being connected to a driving mass, e.g. driving frames
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

An integrated MEMS gyroscope, is provided with: at least a first driving mass driven with a first driving movement along a first axis upon biasing of an assembly of driving electrodes, the first driving movement generating at least one sensing movement, in the presence of rotations of the integrated MEMS gyroscope; and at least a second driving mass driven with a second driving movement along a second axis, transverse to the first axis, the second driving movement generating at least a respective sensing movement, in the presence of rotations of the integrated MEMS gyroscope. The integrated MEMS gyroscope is moreover provided with a first elastic coupling element, which elastically couples the first driving mass and the second driving mass in such a way as to couple the first driving movement to the second driving movement with a given ratio of movement.

Claims

1. A MEMS gyroscope, comprising:

a driving assembly having a first set of driving electrodes on a first side of the driving assembly and a second set of driving electrode on a second side of the driving assembly;

a first mass configured to be driven to have a first driving movement along a first axis in response to biasing of the driving assembly;

a second mass configured to be driven to have a second driving movement along a second axis in response to the first mass, the second axis being transverse to the first axis, the second driving movement being configured to generate a first sensing movement, in response to the rotations of the MEMS gyroscope; and

a first elastic coupling element configured to elastically couple the first mass and the second mass and to couple the first driving movement to the second driving movement with a ratio of movement.

2. The gyroscope of claim 1, further comprising:

a third mass configured to be driven to have a third driving movement along the second axis in response to the first mass; and

a second elastic coupling element configured to elastically couple the first mass and the third mass and to couple the first driving movement to the third driving movement with the ratio of movement.

3. The gyroscope of claim 2 wherein the third mass and the second mass are configured to move towards and away from each other in response to the first driving movement.

4. The gyroscope of claim 2 wherein the third driving movement being configured to generate a second sensing movement, in response to rotations of the MEMS gyroscope.

5. The gyroscope of claim 1, further comprising:

a third mass configured to be driven to have a third driving movement along the first axis in response to biasing of the driving assembly, the third mass having an electrode configured to interact with the second set of electrodes of the driving assembly and the first mass having an electrode configured to interact with the first set of driving electrodes of the driving assembly.

6. The gyroscope of claim 5, further comprising:

a fourth mass configured to be driven to have a fourth driving movement along the second axis in response to the third mass; and

a second elastic coupling element configured to elastically couple the third mass and the fourth mass and to couple the third driving movement to the fourth driving movement.

7. The gyroscope of claim 6, further comprising:

a third elastic coupling element configured to elastically couple the first mass to the fourth mass; and

a fourth elastic coupling element configured to elastically couple the third mass to the second mass.

8. The gyroscope of claim 7 wherein the third elastic coupling element is configured to couple the first driving movement to the fourth driving movement with the ratio of movement and the fourth elastic coupling element is configured to couple the third driving movement to the second driving movement.

10. The gyroscope of claim 1 wherein the first elastic coupling element is a folded spring that extends along a third axis between the first and second axis.

9. (canceled)

11-22. -22. (canceled)