Semiconductor chip gyroscopic transducer
First Claim
1. A micromechanical gyroscopic transducer comprising:
- a mass of semiconductor material having a void on a top surface extending downward, said mass of silicon comprising a silicon frame;
a transducer element suspended above said void, said transducer element comprising;
first and second flexible linkages integral with said frame material for coupling said transducer element to said frame at opposite ends, first ends of said first flexible linkages being connected to said silicon frame;
a first gimbal plate integral with said frame material connected to said second ends of said first and second flexible linkages, said first gimbal plate being capable of oscillatory motion about an axis through said first and second flexible linkages;
a second gimbal pate, interior to said first gimbal plate;
third and fourth flexible linkages integral with said frame material coupling said second gimbal plate to said first gimbal plate on opposite ends, said third and fourth flexible linkages having first ends and second ends, said first ends of said third and fourth flexible linkages being connected o said first gimbal plate and said second ends of said third and fourth flexible linkages being connected to said second gimbal plate, said second gimbal plate being capable of oscillatory motion about an axis through said third and fourth flexible linkages;
a substantially balanced mass, central to said second gimbal plate, said substantially balanced mass having a top side and a bottom side defining an axis therebetween;
first and second sets of electrodes configured within said mass in a bottom region of said void and integral with said frame material, said first set of integral electrodes facing said first gimbal plate and said second set of integral electrodes facing said second gimbal plate; and
a plurality of bridge electrodes configured above said transducer element, each of said plurality of bridge electrodes being supported from said frame at an electrode landing and extending over at least one of said first and second gimbal plates.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A semiconductor chip gyroscopic transducer is disclosed in which a semiconductor element is supported in an outer element by a flexible linkage system which is in turn supported in a frame of semiconductor material by another flexible linkage system which permits the element to vibrate about two axes relative to the frame. Balanced torque forces are provided by a system of buried and bridge electrodes. The stress and tension resulting from doping of these elements are released by a flexure beam. The inertial mass of the inner element is balanced by formation in a central pin and on-chip electronics avoids the capacitive loading effects of long runs from high impedance sources.
Flexure footings are intergrated with the structure adding stability to flexures connecting the supported gyroscopic resonator element to the supporting structure, offsetting a rippling effect inherent in the oxide structure. Flexure grooves provide selective stiffness in the flexure. The bridge electrodes are additionally electrically isolated for electrical compatibility with gyroscope electronics.
195 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A micromechanical gyroscopic transducer comprising:
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a mass of semiconductor material having a void on a top surface extending downward, said mass of silicon comprising a silicon frame; a transducer element suspended above said void, said transducer element comprising; first and second flexible linkages integral with said frame material for coupling said transducer element to said frame at opposite ends, first ends of said first flexible linkages being connected to said silicon frame; a first gimbal plate integral with said frame material connected to said second ends of said first and second flexible linkages, said first gimbal plate being capable of oscillatory motion about an axis through said first and second flexible linkages; a second gimbal pate, interior to said first gimbal plate; third and fourth flexible linkages integral with said frame material coupling said second gimbal plate to said first gimbal plate on opposite ends, said third and fourth flexible linkages having first ends and second ends, said first ends of said third and fourth flexible linkages being connected o said first gimbal plate and said second ends of said third and fourth flexible linkages being connected to said second gimbal plate, said second gimbal plate being capable of oscillatory motion about an axis through said third and fourth flexible linkages; a substantially balanced mass, central to said second gimbal plate, said substantially balanced mass having a top side and a bottom side defining an axis therebetween; first and second sets of electrodes configured within said mass in a bottom region of said void and integral with said frame material, said first set of integral electrodes facing said first gimbal plate and said second set of integral electrodes facing said second gimbal plate; and a plurality of bridge electrodes configured above said transducer element, each of said plurality of bridge electrodes being supported from said frame at an electrode landing and extending over at least one of said first and second gimbal plates. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification