PHYSICAL QUANTITY SENSOR ELEMENT, PHYSICAL QUANTITY SENSOR, ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT, AND MOVABLE BODY

• US 20160069684A1
• Filed: 09/03/2015
• Published: 03/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Columbia Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: FURUHATA, Makoto
• Granted Patent: US 9,939,269 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/574 the devices having two sensing masses in anti-phase motion

Abstract

A physical quantity sensor element of the invention is formed into a plane-shape along an XY plane, and is provided with two driving portions which vibrate in a Z-axis direction, two detecting portions, four beam portions which connect one driving portion and one detecting portion, four beam portions which connect the other detecting portion and the other driving portion, and a coupling portion of which one end is connected to a portion in one of the driving portion and the other end is connected to a portion in the other diving portion in which the each of the deriving portions includes a beam portion which is connected to the end portion of the coupling portion and is deformable so as to reduce a change of a posture of each of the driving portions with respect to an XY plane.

Claims

1. A physical quantity sensor element comprising:

a first mass portion and a second mass portion which are formed into a plane-shape along a reference surface and vibrate in a direction along a normal line of the reference surface;

a first supporting portion;

a first beam portion for connecting the first mass portion and the first supporting portion with each other;

a second supporting portion;

a second beam portion for connecting the second mass portion and the second supporting portion with each other; and

a coupling portion of which one end portion is connected to a portion in the first mass portion, and the other end portion is connected to a portion in the second mass portion,

wherein the first mass portion is connected to the one end portion of the coupling portion, and includes a first easily deformable portion which is deformable so as to reduce a change of a posture of the first mass portion with respect to the reference surface, and

wherein the second mass portion is connected to the other end portion of the coupling portion, and includes a second easily deformable portion which is deformable so as to reduce a change of a posture of the second mass portion with respect to the reference surface.

2. The physical quantity sensor element according to claim 1,

wherein the first easily deformable portion and the second easily deformable portion extend along a direction intersecting with a direction in which the first mass portion and the second mass portion are arranged in planar view seen from a direction along the normal line of the reference surface.

3. The physical quantity sensor element according to claim 2,

wherein in planar view seen from a direction along the normal line of the reference surface, a width of each of the first easily deformable portion and the second easily deformable portion is smaller than a width of the coupling portion.

4. The physical quantity sensor element according to claim 1,

wherein the first mass portion includes a first gap which is disposed in the first easily deformable portion, and

wherein the second mass portion includes a second gap portion which is disposed in the second easily deformable portion.

5. The physical quantity sensor element according to claim 1, further comprising:

a supporting beam portion which is disposed between the first mass portion and the second mass portion, and extend along a direction intersecting with a direction in which the first mass portion and the second mass portion are arranged in planar view seen from a direction along the normal line of the reference surface,

wherein a middle portion of the coupling portion is supported by the support beam portion.

6. The physical quantity sensor element according to claim 1, further comprising:

a substrate which is disposed along the reference surface;

a first fixing portion and a second fixing portion which are fixed onto the substrate;

a third beam portion which connects the first fixing portion and the first supporting portion;

a fourth beam portion which connects the second fixing portion and the second supporting portion;

a first electrode which is provided at a position overlapping the first mass portion in planar view seen from a direction along the normal line of the reference surface; and

a second electrode which is provided at a position overlapping the second mass portion in planar view seen from a direction along the normal line of the reference surface.

7. The physical quantity sensor element according to claim 6, further comprising:

a first detecting electrode which is fixed onto the substrate and detects vibration in a direction along the reference surface of the first supporting portion; and

a second detecting electrode which is fixed onto the substrate and detects vibration in a direction along the reference surface of the second supporting portion.

8. The physical quantity sensor element according to claim 1,

wherein the first easily deformable portion is disposed at a position including a center portion of the first mass portion in planar view seen from a direction along the normal line of the reference surface, and

wherein the second easily deformable portion is disposed at a position including a center portion of the second mass portion in planar view seen from a direction along the normal line of the reference surface.

9. A physical quantity sensor comprising:

the physical quantity sensor element according to claim 1; and

a package which stores the physical quantity sensor element.

10. Electronic equipment comprising the physical quantity sensor element according to claim 1.

11. A movable body comprising the physical quantity sensor element according to claim 1.

12. A physical quantity sensor element comprising:

a first mass portion and a second mass portion which are formed into a plane-shape along a reference surface and vibrate in a direction along a normal line of the reference surface;

a first supporting portion;

a first beam portion for connecting the first mass portion and the first supporting portion;

a second supporting portion;

a second beam portion for connecting the second mass portion and the second supporting portion; and

a coupling portion of which one end portion is connected to a portion in the first mass portion, and the other end portion is connected to a portion in the second mass portion,

wherein the first mass portion is connected to the one end portion of the coupling portion, and includes a fifth beam portion which extends in a direction intersecting with a direction in which the coupling portion extends, and

wherein the second mass portion is connected to the other end portion of the coupling portion, and includes a sixth beam portion which extends in a direction intersecting with a direction in which the coupling portion extends.

13. The physical quantity sensor element according to claim 12,

wherein in planar view seen from the direction along the normal line of the reference surface, a width of each of the fifth beam portion and the sixth beam portion is smaller than a width of the coupling portion.

14. The physical quantity sensor element according to claim 12,

wherein the first mass portion includes a first gap portion which is disposed in the fifth beam portion, and

wherein the second mass portion includes a second gap portion which is disposed in the sixth beam portion.

15. The physical quantity sensor element according to claim 12, further comprising:

a supporting beam portion which is disposed between the first mass portion and the second mass portion, and extend along a direction intersecting with a direction in which the first mass portion and the second mass portion are arranged in planar view seen from a direction along the normal line of the reference surface,

wherein a middle portion of the coupling portion is supported by the support beam portion.

16. The physical quantity sensor element according to claim 12, further comprising:

a substrate which is disposed along the reference surface;

a first fixing portion and a second fixing portion which are fixed onto the substrate;

a third beam portion which connects the first fixing portion and the first supporting portion;

a fourth beam portion which connects the second fixing portion and the second supporting portion;

a first electrode which is provided at a position overlapping the first mass portion in planar view seen from a direction along the normal line of the reference surface; and

a second electrode which is provided at a position overlapping the second mass portion in planar view seen from a direction along the normal line of the reference surface.

17. The physical quantity sensor element according to claim 16, further comprising:

a first detecting electrode which is fixed onto the substrate and detects vibration in a direction along the reference surface of the first supporting portion; and

a second detecting electrode which is fixed onto the substrate and detects vibration in a direction along the reference surface of the second supporting portion.

18. The physical quantity sensor element according to claim 12,

wherein the fifth beam portion is disposed at a position including a center portion of the first mass portion in planar view seen from a direction along the normal line of the reference surface, and

wherein the sixth beam portion is disposed at a position including a center portion of the second mass portion in planar view seen from a direction along the normal line of the reference surface.

19. A physical quantity sensor comprising:

the physical quantity sensor element according to claim 12; and

a package which stores the physical quantity sensor element.

20. Electronic equipment comprising the physical quantity sensor element according to claim 12.