PHYSICAL QUANTITY SENSOR, PHYSICAL QUANTITY SENSOR DEVICE, ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT, AND MOVING BODY

• US 20180038888A1
• Filed: 10/03/2017
• Published: 02/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: TANAKA, Satoru
• Granted Patent: US 10,641,789 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5755 the devices having a single sensing mass
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5769 Manufacturing; Mounting; Housings
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/125 by capacitive pick-up
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/0831 the mass being of the paddle type having the pivot axis between the longitudinal ends of the mass, e.g. see-saw configuration

Abstract

A physical quantity sensor includes: an oscillating body having a support section and a movable section which is connected to the support section through connection portions, in which the movable section has a first movable portion and a second movable portion; a first fixed electrode which is disposed to face the first movable portion; a second fixed electrode which is disposed to face the second movable portion; and a dummy electrode which is disposed to face the second movable portion so as not to overlap the second fixed electrode and has the same potential as potential of the oscillating body, in which the first fixed electrode is disposed such that a portion thereof overlaps the support section when viewed in a plan view.

Claims

1. A physical quantity sensor comprising:

a substrate;

a support section which is fixed to the substrate;

a movable section which is connected to the support section through a connection portion and can oscillate with respect to the support section; and

a fixed electrode which is disposed on the substrate to face the movable section,

wherein the movable section includes a first mass portion which is provided on one side with respect to the connection portion, and a second mass portion which is provided on the other side and has larger mass than the first mass portion,

the fixed electrode includes a first fixed electrode which is disposed to face the first mass portion, a second fixed electrode which is disposed to face the second mass portion, and a dummy electrode which is disposed to face the movable section so as not to come into contact with the first fixed electrode and the second fixed electrode and has the same potential as potential of the movable section, and

when an axial direction in which the movable section is oscillated is set to be a Y-axis direction, at least one of a width in the Y-axis direction of the dummy electrode disposed alongside the first fixed electrode and a width in the Y-axis direction of the first fixed electrode is larger than a width in the Y-axis direction of the second fixed electrode.

2. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 1, wherein the dummy electrode has a first portion which is disposed to face the first fixed electrode in the Y-axis direction.

3. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 2, wherein the first portion is provided in a pair so as to be located on both sides in the Y-axis direction of the first fixed electrode.

4. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first fixed electrode has a second portion which is disposed to face the dummy electrode in the Y-axis direction.