Variable Area Capacitive Lateral Acceleration Sensor and Preparation Method Thereof

• US 20150114118A1
• Filed: 02/26/2013
• Published: 04/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology Chinese Academy of Sciences
• Original Assignee: Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology Chinese Academy of Sciences
• Inventors: Che, Lufeng, Zhou, Xiaofeng, Wang, Yuelin, Tao, Ruojie
• Granted Patent: US 9,625,488 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/514.32
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/00341 Processes for manufacturing microsystems not provided for in groups B81C1/00023 - B81C1/00261
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0802 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/125 by capacitive pick-up
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/0814 for translational movement of the mass, e.g. shuttle type
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/0871 using stopper structures for limiting the travel of the seismic mass

Abstract

The present invention provides a variable area capacitive lateral acceleration sensor and a preparation method. The acceleration sensor at least includes: three-layer stack structure bonded by a first substrate, a second substrate and a third substrate which are electrically isolated with each other, wherein, the second substrate includes a movable seismic mass, a frame surrounded the movable seismic mass, a elastic beam connected to the movable seismic mass and the frame, a plurality of bar structure electrodes positioned on two surfaces of the movable seismic mass, an anti-overloading structure arranged on the movable seismic mass, etc.; the plurality of first bar structure electrodes on the first substrate and a plurality of second bar structure electrodes on one surface of the second substrate form capacitor structure, the plurality of third bar structure electrodes on the third substrate and a plurality of second bar structure electrodes on one surface of the second substrate form capacitor structure, and those two capacitor form differential sensitive capacitor structure. The present invention has the advantage of high sensitivity and good linearity, and different kinds of beam shapes may be designed as needed, to prepare capacitive acceleration sensors with different sensitivity, and the preparation has high flexibility.

Claims

1. A preparation method for a variable area capacitive lateral acceleration sensor, wherein said method for preparing the variable area capacitive lateral acceleration sensor at least including the steps of:

forming a plurality of first bar structure electrodes at recesses on a first substrate surface;

forming a plurality of second bar structure electrodes at recesses on the two surface of a second substrate;

bonding the first substrate surface and a second substrate surface into a first bonded structure, causing the plurality of first bar structure electrodes on the first substrate and a plurality of second bar structure electrodes on one surface of the second substrate to form capacitor structure, respectively, and the first substrate and the second substrate are electrically isolated;

forming a movable seismic mass structure, a elastic beam structure and a anti-overloading structure on the second substrate of the bonded structure, and causing the plurality of the second bar structure electrodes to be positioned on the two surface of the movable seismic mass structure, respectively;

forming a plurality of third bar structure electrodes at recesses on a third substrate;

bonding the third substrate and the second substrate where the movable seismic mass structure has been formed into a second bonded structure, causing the plurality of third bar structure electrodes on the third substrate and a plurality of second bar structure electrodes on the other surface of the second substrate to form capacitor structure, respectively, and the third substrate and the second substrate are electrically isolated;

forming electrode lead via-holes at the first substrate or the third substrate of the second bonded structure, and preparing electrodes.

2. The method for preparing a variable area capacitive lateral acceleration sensor as in claim 1, wherein the depth of the recesses of the first substrate and the second substrate does not exceed 5 μ

m.

3. The method for preparing a variable area capacitive lateral acceleration sensor as in claim 1, wherein the silicon oxide layer left by the preparation of recesses is directly used as an insulation layer of the three bonded substrate.

4. The method for preparing a variable area capacitive lateral acceleration sensor as in claim 1, wherein the second bar structure electrodes on the two surfaces of the second substrate have one-to-one correspondence and same shape.

5. The method for preparing a variable area capacitive lateral acceleration sensor as in claim 1, wherein the elastic beam structure as formed on the second substrate is H-shape.

6. The method for preparing a variable area capacitive lateral acceleration sensor as in claim 1, wherein the elastic beam structure as formed on the second substrate is a composite structure consisting of an H-shaped elastic beam and a support beam.

7. A variable area capacitive lateral acceleration sensor, wherein said variable area capacitive lateral acceleration sensor at least including:

three-layer stack structure bonded by a first substrate, a second substrate and a third substrate, which are electrically isolated from each other, therein,

the second substrate includes a movable seismic mass, a frame to surround the movable seismic mass, a elastic beam connected to the movable seismic mass and the frame, a plurality of second bar structure electrodes positioned on two surfaces of the movable seismic mass, an anti-overloading structure arranged on the movable seismic mass and an electrode;

the plurality of first bar structure electrodes on the first substrate and a plurality of second bar structure electrodes on the second substrate form capacitor structures, respectively, the plurality of third bar structure electrodes on the third substrate and the plurality of second bar structure electrodes on the second substrate form capacitor structures, respectively;

the first substrate is provided with electrode lead via-holes and an electrode, the third substrate is provided with an electrode.

8. The variable area capacitive lateral acceleration sensor as in claim 7, wherein the gap between a first bar structure electrode and a second bar structure electrode is determined by the thickness of the silicon oxide layer of the first substrate.

9. The variable area capacitive lateral acceleration sensor as in claim 7, wherein the gap between a third bar structure electrode and a second bar structure electrode is determined by the thickness of the oxide layer of the third substrate.

10. The variable area capacitive lateral acceleration sensor as in claim 7, wherein the differential sensitive capacitor structure is formed by combining the capacitor structure which is formed by the first bar structure electrode of the first substrate and the second bar structure electrode of the second substrate, and the capacitor structure which is formed by the third bar structure electrode of the third substrate and the second bar structure electrode of the second substrate.

11. The variable area capacitive lateral acceleration sensor as in claim 7, wherein the elastic beam includes an H-shaped elastic beam.

12. The variable area capacitive lateral acceleration sensor as in claim 7, wherein the elastic beam includes an H-shaped elastic beam and a supporting beam.

13. The variable area capacitive lateral acceleration sensor as in claim 8, wherein the differential sensitive capacitor structure is formed by combining the capacitor structure which is formed by the first bar structure electrode of the first substrate and the second bar structure electrode of the second substrate, and the capacitor structure which is formed by the third bar structure electrode of the third substrate and the second bar structure electrode of the second substrate.

14. The variable area capacitive lateral acceleration sensor as in claim 9, wherein the differential sensitive capacitor structure is formed by combining the capacitor structure which is formed by the first bar structure electrode of the first substrate and the second bar structure electrode of the second substrate, and the capacitor structure which is formed by the third bar structure electrode of the third substrate and the second bar structure electrode of the second substrate.