INTEGRATED MICROELECTROMECHANICAL GYROSCOPE WITH IMPROVED DRIVING STRUCTURE

• US 20170023363A1
• Filed: 12/19/2014
• Published: 01/26/2017
• 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 10,168,154 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 first mass configured to move in a first direction along a first axis;

a second mass configured to move in a second direction along a second axis, the second axis being transverse to the first axis; and

a first elastic coupling element coupled to the first mass and the second mass, the first elastic coupling element being configured to move the second mass in the second direction in response to the first mass in the first direction.

2. The gyroscope of claim 1, further comprising:

a third mass configured to move in the second direction along the second axis; and

a second elastic coupling element coupled to the first mass and the third mass, the second elastic coupling element being configured to move the third mass in the second direction in response to the first mass in the first direction.

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

4. The gyroscope of claim 2, further comprising:

a fourth mass configured to move in the first direction along the first axis, the first mass and the fourth mass being configured to move towards and away from each other along the first axis;

a third elastic coupling element coupled to the fourth mass and the second mass, the third elastic coupling element being configured to move the second mass in the second direction in response to the fourth mass in the first direction; and

a fourth elastic coupling element coupled to the fourth mass and the third mass, the fourth elastic coupling element being configured to move the third mass in the second direction in response to the fourth mass in the first direction.

5. A device, comprising:

a substrate;

a driving assembly coupled to the substrate, the driving assembly having a first set of driving electrodes separated from a second set of driving electrodes;

a first pair of masses coupled to the driving assembly and positioned between the first set of driving electrodes and the second set of driving electrodes, the first pair of masses configured to be driven along a first axis in response to the driving assembly;

a second pair of masses configured to move along a second axis that is transverse to the first axis;

a first elastic coupling element coupled to a first one of the first pair of masses and a first one of the second pair of masses;

a second elastic coupling element coupled to the first one of the first pair of masses and a second one of the second pair of masses;

a third elastic coupling element coupled to a second one of the first pair of masses and the first one of the second pair of masses; and

a fourth elastic coupling element coupled to the second one of the first pair of masses and the second one of the second pair of masses, the first, second, third, and fourth elastic coupling elements configured to move the second pair of masses in response to movement of the first pair of masses.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein the first pair of masses are configured to be driven in phase opposition and the second pair of masses configured to move in phase opposition in response to the movement of the first pair of masses.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein the first, second, third, and fourth elastic coupling elements are configured to cause the first pair and second pair of masses to move synchronously.

8. The device of claim 5, further comprising:

a central anchorage region positioned between the first set and the second set of driving electrodes;

a plurality of central elastic coupling elements, each of the masses of the first and second pair of masses being separately coupled to the central anchorage region with one of the plurality of central elastic coupling elements.

9. The device of claim 5 wherein the plurality of central elastic coupling elements are more radially internal with respect to the central anchorage region than the first, second, third, and fourth elastic coupling elements.

10. 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.

11. A device, comprising:

a first mass;

a second mass; and

a first elastic coupling element coupled to the first mass and the second mass, the first elastic coupling element being configured to move the second mass in response to movement of the first mass.