Tunneling-based rate gyros with simple drive and sense axis coupling
First Claim
1. A tunneling rotation sensor, comprising:
- a substrate;
a cantilever having an end extending from said substrate and a cantilever arm positioned away from said substrate;
said cantilever arm comprising a first section and a second section;
a tunneling electrode on said substrate;
a tunneling gap through which current can flow, said tunneling gap formed between said tunneling electrode and said first section;
said cantilever arm further comprising flexible material and being constructed such that;
a) said first section is capable of deflection toward and away from said substrate;
b) said second section is capable of deflection toward and away from said substrate; and
c) said first section is more restricted than said second section from making movements other than said deflection toward and away from said substrate.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Various structures for cantilever beam tunneling rate gyro devices formed on a single substrate are disclosed. A cantilever electrode having a plurality of portions extending from the substrate with one end of the cantilever is suspended above the substrate at a distance from a tunneling electrode so that a tunneling current flows through the cantilever and tunneling electrode in response to an applied bias voltage. The cantilever and tunneling electrodes form a circuit that produces an output signal. A force applied to the sensor urges the cantilever electrode to deflect relative to the tunneling electrode to modulate the output signal. The output signal is a control voltage that is applied between the cantilever electrode and a control electrode to maintain a constant tunneling current. In the preferred embodiment, two cantilever portions extend from the wafer surface forming a Y-shape. In a further embodiment, a strap is fabricated on the cantilever electrode. In an alternate embodiment, a ridge emitter is formed such that it remains under the cantilever electrode during lateral motion of the cantilever In an alternate embodiment, a cantilever having a varying width is fabricated.
-
Citations
43 Claims
-
1. A tunneling rotation sensor, comprising:
-
a substrate; a cantilever having an end extending from said substrate and a cantilever arm positioned away from said substrate; said cantilever arm comprising a first section and a second section; a tunneling electrode on said substrate; a tunneling gap through which current can flow, said tunneling gap formed between said tunneling electrode and said first section; said cantilever arm further comprising flexible material and being constructed such that; a) said first section is capable of deflection toward and away from said substrate; b) said second section is capable of deflection toward and away from said substrate; and c) said first section is more restricted than said second section from making movements other than said deflection toward and away from said substrate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A tunneling rotation sensor, comprising:
-
a substrate; a cantilever having an end extending from said substrate and a cantilever arm positioned away from said substrate, said cantilever arm comprising; a) a first section and a second section; and b) a flexible material to allow deflection of said cantilever arm toward and away from said substrate; a tunneling electrode disposed on said substrate opposite said first section; a tunneling gap through which current can flow, said tunneling gap formed between said tunneling electrode and said first section; a lateral control electrode disposed on said substrate adjacent said second section for movement of said second section other than said deflection toward and away from said substrate; said first section remaining opposite said tunneling electrode during said movement of said second section. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
-
-
40. A tunneling rotation sensor, comprising:
-
a substrate; a cantilever comprising a first portion and a second portion extending from said substrate and a cantilever arm positioned away from said substrate; said cantilever arm comprising a first section and a second section; a tunneling electrode on said substrate; a tunneling gap through which a current can flow, said tunneling gap formed between said tunneling electrode and said first section of said cantilever arm; said cantilever arm further comprising flexible material and being constructed such that; a) said first section and said second section of said cantilever arm join with said first portion and said second portion of said cantilever to form a Y-shape; b) said cantilever arm is capable of deflection toward and away from said substrate; and c) said first section is more restricted than said second section from making movements other than said deflection toward and away from said substrate. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43)
-
Specification