Capacitive sensor for detecting a physical value such as acceleration

• US 5,388,460 A
• Filed: 03/18/1992
• Issued: 02/14/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Koki Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Koki Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Kuwahara, Shiro, Sakurai, Shizuki, Kunie, Nakane, Takagi, Ryota
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Oda, Christine K.
• Application Number:
  US07/853,292
• Time in Patent Office: 1,063 Days
• Field of Search: 73/517 R, 73/517 B, 73/862.626, 73/718, 73/724, 361/280, 361/283.4
• US Class Current: 73/514.32
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 3/0008 Structures for avoiding electrostatic attraction, e.g. avoiding charge accumulation
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0802 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/125 by capacitive pick-up

Abstract

A capacitive acceleration sensor is composed of a silicon plate, a glass plate and a substrate. The silicon plate has a fixed portion and a movable portion supported by the fixed portion through spring beams. The movable portion is moved in response to the change in the acceleration and is provided with a moving electrode thereon. The glass plate is provided with a fixed electrode and anodically bonded to the silicon plate so that the fixed electrode faces the moving electrode with a predetermined gap. On the glass plate, a first dummy electrode is formed at a location corresponding to the spring beams of the silicon plate. The dummy electrode has a terminal portion at one end so as to be electrically connected with the silicon plate during anodic bonding of the plates. On the substrate, a second dummy electrode is formed at a location corresponding to the movable portion of the silicon plate. The dummy electrode, similarly, has a terminal portion at one end so as to be electrically connected with the silicon plate during anodic bonding of the silicon plate and the substrate.

Claims

1. A capacitive sensor for detecting a physical value, comprising:

a first plate having a fixed portion and a movable portion supported by said fixed portion through a flexible supporting portion, said movable portion being moved in response to a change in said physical value and having a moving electrode thereon;

a second plate having a fixed electrode thereon and anodically bonded to said first plate, said fixed electrode facing said moving electrode with a predetermined gap; and

a dummy electrode formed on said second plate at a location facing said flexible supporting portion, said dummy electrode being electrically connected to said first late, wherein said physical value is detected as a change in capacitance between the plates.

2. The capacitive sensor for detecting a physical value as set forth in claim 1,, wherein;

said movable portion comprises a weighted portion which moves in response to an acceleration, and wherein;

a capacitance between said fixed electrode and said moving electrode changes in accordance with said acceleration.

3. The capacitive sensor for detecting a physical value as set forth in claim 2, wherein;

said first plate is further bonded on a substrate.

4. The capacitive sensor for detecting a physical value as set forth in claim 2 wherein;

the materials of said first plate and said second plate are silicon and glass, respectively.

5. The capacitive sensor for detecting a physical value as set forth in claim 3, wherein;

said weighted portion is square as viewed from a large side of said first plate, and said flexible supporting portion is composed of four beams parallel to the four sides of said weighted portion, each one of said four beams having two ends, one end of each beam being connected to the weighted portion and another end of each beam being connected to the fixed portion of said first plate.

6. The capacitive sensor for detecting a physical value as set forth in claim 3, wherein;

a second dummy electrode is provided on said substrate.