Method for forming an electrostatically force balanced silicon accelerometer
First Claim
1. A method for forming a solid state accelerometer comprising the steps of:
- forming a proofmass in a substrate;
forming a support layer in the substrate between the proofmass and the substrate;
forming at least one hinge selectively attaching the proofmass to the substrate;
bonding two substantially complementary proofmasses and associated substrate structures together, with at least one of said structures including said hinge; and
selectively removing the support layer located in between the proofmass structures and the surrounding substrate.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An accelerometer is fabricated by forming a proofmass and at least one associated hinge in a silicon substrate by ion implantation and the formation of an oxide support layer below the proofmass, subsequently integrally bonding two complementary proofmass and substrate structures together, and then removing the oxide support layer to leave the proofmass supported by the hinge within the body of silicon material. The proofmass may be electrically connected to a lead extending through an etched recess in one of the substrates; and the proofmass may be electrically isolated or separated from the substrates by an oxide layer and by a change in conductivity type of the semiconductor material where the hinge is structurally mounted to the substrates.
-
Citations
12 Claims
-
1. A method for forming a solid state accelerometer comprising the steps of:
-
forming a proofmass in a substrate; forming a support layer in the substrate between the proofmass and the substrate; forming at least one hinge selectively attaching the proofmass to the substrate; bonding two substantially complementary proofmasses and associated substrate structures together, with at least one of said structures including said hinge; and selectively removing the support layer located in between the proofmass structures and the surrounding substrate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
Specification