Capacitance type accelerometer

• US 5,392,651 A
• Filed: 12/06/1993
• Issued: 02/28/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Masahiro, Miki, Masayuki, Suzuki, Seiko, Tsuchitani, Shigeki
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dombroske, George M.
• Application Number:
  US08/161,456
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: 73/517 B, 73/517 R, 437/67
• US Class Current: 73/514.32
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0235 Accelerometers
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2207/095 through the lid
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2207/096 through the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/00301 Connecting electric signal lines from the MEMS device with external electrical signal lines, e.g. through vias
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0802 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/125 by capacitive pick-up
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/131 with electrostatic counterbalancing means
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/0828 the mass being of the paddle type being suspended at one of its longitudinal ends

Abstract

A capacitance type accelerometer, having a fist silicon plate formed a movable electrode which is moved according to acceleration, two second silicon plates which are disposed on both sides of the first silicon plate with a certain separation distance, and thermal oxide films which are respectively disposed between the first silicon plate except the movable electrode and the two second silicon plates and stick the first silicon plate except the movable electrode and the two second silicon plates together. And further, a capacitance type accelerometer, having, a silicon plate formed a movable electrode which is moved according to acceleration, glass plates respectively mounting a conductive layer thereon which are opposite to the silicon plate with a certain separation distance and are sticked to the both side of the silicon plate except the movable electrode and leading wires which are respectively connected to the conductive layers through a groove formed between the silicon plate and the glass plates respectively deriving. These capacitance type accelerometers are made by processing and cutting a wafer by dicing saw without coming into the accelerometer of cutting chips or cutting water.

Claims

1. A capacitance type accelerometer, having;

a first silicon plate formed so as to provide a movable electrode part which is moved according to acceleration;

two second silicon plates which are disposed on both sides of the first silicon plate with certain separation distances; and

thermal oxide films which are respectively disposed between the first silicon plate except the movable electrode part and the two second silicon plates so as to respectively provide predetermined gaps between the movable electrode and the second silicon plates, and stick the first silicon plate except the movable electrode part and the two second silicon plates together through said thermal oxide films by heat processing of the silicon plates.

2. A capacitance type accelerometer as defined in claim 1, wherein;

the thermal oxide films are previously formed on at least one of the first silicon plate except the movable electrode and the two second silicon plates.

3. A capacitance type accelerometer as defined in claim 2, further having;

glass layers previously formed on the thermal oxide films by spin coating method.

4. A capacitance type accelerometer as defined in claim 1, further having;

polycrystal silicon layer formed on the second silicon plates which are opposite to the movable electrode part.

5. A method manufacturing capacitance type accelerometers comprising the steps of:

forming a plurality of first silicon plates on a wafer, each of the first silicon plates having a movable electrode part which is moved according to acceleration;

respectively forming a plurality of two second silicon plates on respective other wafers, respective one of the two second silicon plates being disposed on both sides of the first silicon plate with a certain separation distance;

respectively disposing thermal oxide films having low fusion point glasses respectively between the first silicon plates except the movable electrode parts and the two second silicon plates; and

respectively sticking the first silicon plates except the movable electrode part on the wafer and the two second silicon plates together by heat treatment of the first and second silicon plates on the other wafers; and

dicing the wafer and the other wafers so as to form the respective accelerometers.

6. A method manufacturing capacitance type accelerometers, comprising the steps of:

forming a plurality of first silicon plates on a wafer, each of the first silicon plates having a movable electrode part which is moved according to acceleration;

respectively forming two second silicon plates on respective other wafers, respective ones of the two second silicon plates being disposed on both sides of the first silicon plate with a certain separation distance;

respectively disposing thermal oxide films between the first silicon plate except the movable electrode part and the two second silicon plates and respectively sticking the first silicon plate except the movable electrode part on the wafer and the two second silicon plates together by bonding heat treatment of the first and second silicon plates on the other wafers; and

dicing the wafer and the other wafers so as to form the respective accelerometers.

7. The method as defined in claim 6, wherein the thermal oxide films are previously formed on at least one of the first silicon plate except the movable electrode part and on the two second silicon plates.

8. The method defined in claim 7, wherein glass layers are previously formed on the thermal oxide films by spin coating method.

9. The method as defined in claim 6, wherein polycrystal silicon layers are formed on the parts of the second silicon plates which are opposite to the movable electrode part.

10. A capacitance type accelerometer, comprising:

a first silicon plate formed so as to provide a movable electrode part which is moved according to acceleration;

two fixed second plates which are disposed on both sides of the first silicon plate with certain separation distances;

a first conductive member which is electrically connected to the movable electrode part and is disposed at a side of the first silicon plate; and

two second conductive members which are respectively electrically connected to the second fixed plates and are respectively disposed at sides of the second fixed plates wherein the separation distances are precisely obtained by sticking the plates together by the heat processing of thermal oxide films formed upon the plates.

11. A capacitive type accelerometer as defined in claim 10, further comprising a circuit connected to the first and second conductive members for detecting acceleration.

12. A capacitive type accelerometer as defined in claim 10, wherein the second fixed plates have fixed electrodes respectively formed therewith.