PHYSICAL QUANTITY SENSOR, PHYSICAL QUANTITY SENSOR DEVICE, ELECTRONIC APPARATUS, AND MOVING OBJECT

• US 20170010298A1
• Filed: 06/20/2016
• Published: 01/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: TANAKA, Satoru
• Granted Patent: US 10,168,350 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/125 by capacitive pick-up

Abstract

A physical quantity sensor includes an element piece, in which the element piece includes a support portion that includes a first support portion, a second support portion, and a third support portion that links the first and second support portions, and is connected to a base substrate at the third support portion, a movable electrode portion that is positioned between the first and second support portions, and includes a movable electrode finger, an elastic portion that links the movable electrode portion and the support portion and has elasticity, and a fixed electrode portions having fixed electrode fingers that are arranged facing the movable electrode finger.

Claims

1. A physical quantity sensor, comprising:

a substrate; and

an element piece bonded to the substrate,

wherein the element piece includes

a support portion having a first support portion, a second support portion arranged separated from the first support portion in the first direction, and a third support portion linked to the first support portion and the second support portion that is connected to the substrate with the third support portion,

a movable electrode portion that is positioned between the first support portion and the second support portion, is arranged aligned with the third support portion in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and that has a movable electrode finger,

an elastic portion having a first elastic portion that is positioned between the movable electrode portion and the first support portion, and links the movable electrode portion and the first support portion, and a second elastic portion that is positioned between the movable electrode portion and the second support portion and that links the movable electrode portion and the second support portion, and that makes the movable electrode portion displaceable in the first direction with respect to the support portion, and

a fixed electrode portion that is connected to the substrate and has a fixed electrode finger arranged facing the movable electrode finger.

2. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 1,

wherein the support portion further includes a fourth support portion that is positioned on a side opposite to the third support portion with the movable electrode portion interposed, and links the first support portion and the second support portion.

3. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 2,

wherein, in plan view of the substrate, the third support portion is positioned further to the center side of the substrate than the fourth support portion.

4. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 1,

wherein the support portion is connected to the substrate at the central portion except for both ends of the third support portion in the first direction.

5. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 1,

wherein the support portion is connected to the substrate at a region that overlaps onto a first virtual line of the third support portion, when, in plan view of the element piece, the first virtual line that passes through the center of the movable electrode portion and extends along the second direction is set.

6. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 1,

wherein the connection portion with the substrate of the fixed electrode portion is positioned further to the third support portion side than a second virtual line, when, in plan view of the element piece, the second virtual line that passes through the center of the movable electrode portion and extends along the first direction is set.

7. A physical quantity sensor device, comprising:

the physical quantity sensor according to claim 1; and

an electronic component electrically connected to the physical quantity sensor.

8. A physical quantity sensor device, comprising:

the physical quantity sensor according to claim 2; and

an electronic component electrically connected to the physical quantity sensor.

9. A physical quantity sensor device, comprising:

the physical quantity sensor according to claim 3; and

an electronic component electrically connected to the physical quantity sensor.

10. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

the physical quantity sensor according to claim 1.

11. A moving object, comprising:

the physical quantity sensor according to claim 1.

12. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 2,

wherein the support portion is connected to the substrate at the central portion except for both ends of the third support portion in the first direction.

13. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 3,

wherein the support portion is connected to the substrate at the central portion except for both ends of the third support portion in the first direction.

14. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 2,

wherein the support portion is connected to the substrate at a region that overlaps onto a first virtual line of the third support portion, when, in plan view of the element piece, the first virtual line that passes through the center of the movable electrode portion and extends along the second direction is set.

15. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 3,

wherein the support portion is connected to the substrate at a region that overlaps onto a first virtual line of the third support portion, when, in plan view of the element piece, the first virtual line that passes through the center of the movable electrode portion and extends along the second direction is set.

16. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 4,

wherein the support portion is connected to the substrate at a region that overlaps onto a first virtual line of the third support portion, when, in plan view of the element piece, the first virtual line that passes through the center of the movable electrode portion and extends along the second direction is set.

17. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 2,

wherein the connection portion with the substrate of the fixed electrode portion is positioned further to the third support portion side than a second virtual line, when, in plan view of the element piece, the second virtual line that passes through the center of the movable electrode portion and extends along the first direction is set.

18. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 3,

wherein the connection portion with the substrate of the fixed electrode portion is positioned further to the third support portion side than a second virtual line, when, in plan view of the element piece, the second virtual line that passes through the center of the movable electrode portion and extends along the first direction is set.

19. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 4,

wherein the connection portion with the substrate of the fixed electrode portion is positioned further to the third support portion side than a second virtual line, when, in plan view of the element piece, the second virtual line that passes through the center of the movable electrode portion and extends along the first direction is set.

20. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 5,

wherein the connection portion with the substrate of the fixed electrode portion is positioned further to the third support portion side than a second virtual line, when, in plan view of the element piece, the second virtual line that passes through the center of the movable electrode portion and extends along the first direction is set.