Acceleration sensor having coaxially-arranged fixed electrode and movable electrode

• US 5,864,064 A
• Filed: 09/20/1996
• Issued: 01/26/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd. (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd. (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Yasutoshi, Kano, Kazuhiko, Ao, Kenichi, Ohtsuka, Yoshinori, Kitao, Norio
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOLLER, RICHARD ALAN
• Application Number:
  US08/717,405
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 73/514.01, 73/514.16, 73/514.32, 73/514.36, 73/514.38, 200/61.45 R, 200/61.52, 361/280, 340/669, 340/686, 340/689
• US Class Current: 73/514.36
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0802 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/125 by capacitive pick-up
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/135 by making use of contacts which are actuated by a movable inertial mass
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/18 in two or more dimensions

Abstract

An acceleration sensor is constructed by a substrate, a cylindrical dead-weight movable electrode to be displaced by acceleration, a fixed electrode from the inside of which a cylinder is hollowed, a cylindrical anchor arranged on the substrate for supporting the dead-weight movable electrode with elastic transformable structural material and beams. When acceleration is applied from the outside, the cylindrical detecting face of the dead-weight movable electrode and the cylindrical detected face of the fixed electrode are in contact on a two-dimensional plane parallel to the substrate and the acceleration sensor detects the contact. A radial interval between the detecting face of the dead-weight movable electrode and the detected face of the fixed electrode is set in view of the elastic modulus of the beams so that external force can be detected isotropically and the acceleration sensor detects acceleration on a two-dimensional plane nondirectionally.

Claims

1. An acceleration sensor comprising:

a substrate;

an anchor fixedly arranged on said substrate;

a beam having one end integrated with said anchor, made of the same material as said anchor, and arranged approximately in parallel to a surface of said substrate to be elastically transformed;

a cylindrical dead-weight movable electrode integrated with said beam, made of the same material as said anchor, held over said substrate with said dead-weight movable electrode separated from said substrate by a predetermined radial interval, provided with a detecting face on an approximately cylindrical side in a direction perpendicular to said substrate, and displaceable by applied acceleration in the direction parallel to the surface of said substrate;

a fixed electrode fixedly arranged on said substrate, separated from said detecting face of said dead-weight movable electrode by a predetermined radial interval, and provided with a detected face on an approximately cylindrical side opposite to said detecting face; and

detecting means for detecting said acceleration based upon the change of the distance between said detecting face of said dead-weight movable electrode and said detected face of said fixed electrode.

2. An acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein:

said dead-weight movable electrode includes a circular member provided with the approximately cylindrical side on the side of said fixed electrode.

3. An acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein:

said anchor is arranged inside said dead-weight movable electrode; and

said fixed electrode is arranged outside said dead-weight movable electrode.

4. An acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein:

said anchor is arranged outside said dead-weight movable electrode; and

said fixed electrode is arranged inside said dead-weight movable electrode.

5. An acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein:

the distance between said detecting face of said dead-weight movable electrode and said detected face of said fixed electrode is kept approximately uniform when said dead-weight movable electrode is kept stationary.

6. An acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein:

said detecting means detects a contact between said detecting face of said dead-weight movable electrode and said detected face of said fixed electrode.

7. An acceleration sensor according to claim 1, further comprising:

a projection provided on at least one face of said dead-weight movable electrode and said detecting face of said fixed electrode.

8. An acceleration sensor according to claim 7, further comprising:

means for reducing contact resistance provided on the surface of said projection.

9. A sensor according to claim 8 wherein said means for reducing contact resistance comprises a metal formed on said dead-weight movable electrode, on said projection and on said detecting face of said fixed electrode.

10. An acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein:

said fixed electrode includes a plurality of divided electrodes; and

said detecting means detects a change of capacity between any of said divided electrodes of said fixed electrode and said detecting face of said dead-weight movable electrode.

11. An acceleration sensor according to claim 10, further comprising:

first and second terminals connected to said detecting means and different in potential;

first wire for electrically connecting said first terminal and said fixed electrode; and

second wire for electrically connecting said second terminal and said anchor.

12. An acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein:

a lower electrode arranged on a surface of said substrate under said dead-weight movable electrode and set at an electric potential equal to that of said dead-weight movable electrode.

13. An acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein:

said fixed electrode is constructed by the same material as said anchor.

14. An acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein:

said anchor, said dead-weight movable electrode, said fixed electrode and said beam are formed by processing and separating an upper substrate arranged on said substrate.

15. An acceleration sensor comprising:

a first substrate;

a first anchor arranged on said first substrate;

a first beam having one end integrated with said first anchor, made of the same material as said first anchor and arranged movably approximately in parallel to the surface of said first substrate by elastic transformation;

a first cylindrical dead-weight movable electrode integrated with said first beam, made of the same material as said first anchor, held movably over said first substrate with said first dead-weight movable electrode separated from said first substrate by a first predetermined radial interval, provided with a first detecting face on an approximately cylindrical side in the direction perpendicular to said first substrate, and displaceable by applied acceleration in the direction parallel to the surface of said first substrate;

a first fixed electrode fixedly arranged on said first substrate with said first fixed electrode separated from said first detecting face of said first dead-weight movable electrode by a first interval and provided with a first detected face on an approximately cylindrical side opposite to said first detecting face;

a first detecting means for detecting said acceleration based upon a change of distance between said first detecting face of said first dead-weight movable electrode and said first detected face of said first fixed electrode;

a second substrate;

a second anchor arranged on said second substrate;

a second beam having one end integrated with said second anchor, made of the same material as said second anchor and movably arranged approximately in parallel to the surface of said second substrate by elastic transformation;

a second cylindrical dead-weight movable electrode integrated with said second beam, made of the same material as said second anchor, movably held over said second substrate with said second dead-weight movable electrode separated from said second substrate by a second predetermined radial interval, provided with a second detecting face on an approximately cylindrical side in the direction perpendicular to said second substrate and displaceable by said acceleration in the direction approximately parallel to said first dead-weight movable electrode;

a second fixed electrode fixedly arranged on said second substrate with said second fixed electrode separated from said second detecting face of said second dead-weight movable electrode by a second interval and provided with a second detected face on an approximately cylindrical side opposite to said second detecting face; and

a second detecting means for detecting said acceleration based upon a change of distance between said second detecting face of said second dead-weight movable electrode and said second detected face of said second fixed electrode after said first detecting means detects acceleration larger than said predetermined magnitude.

16. An acceleration sensor according to claim 15, wherein:

said second detecting means starts to detect the change of the distance between said second detecting face and said second detected face after said first detecting means detects acceleration larger than said predetermined magnitude.

17. An acceleration sensor according to claim 15, wherein:

said first detecting means detects the contact between said first detecting face and said first detected face.

18. An acceleration sensor according to claim 15, further comprising:

a projection provided on at least one face of said first detecting face and said first detected face.

19. An acceleration sensor according to claim 18, further comprising:

means for reducing contact resistance provided on the surface of said projection.

20. A sensor according to claim 19 wherein said means for reducing contact resistance comprises a metal formed on said dead-weight movable electrode, on said projection and on said detecting face of said fixed electrode.

21. An acceleration sensor according to claim 15, wherein:

said second fixed electrode includes a plurality of divided electrodes; and

said second detecting means detects a change of capacity between any of said divided electrodes of said second fixed electrode and said second detecting face of said second dead-weight movable electrode.

22. An acceleration sensor according to claim 15, wherein:

said first substrate and said second substrate are integrated on a single substrate; and

said material constituting said first anchor, said first beam and said first movable electrode is the same material.

23. An acceleration sensor comprising:

a semiconductor substrate;

an elastic beam member;

a cylindrical dead-weight movable electrode supported movably by said beam member over said semiconductor substrate in any direction on a plane parallel to the surface of said semiconductor substrate; and

a fixed electrode fixedly arranged on said semiconductor substrate and radially separated from said dead-weight movable electrode by a predetermined radial interval, wherein

an output equivalent to an applied acceleration is provided based upon a change of a radial distance between said dead-weight movable electrode and said fixed electrode; and

a positional relationship between said dead-weight movable electrode and said fixed electrode is set so that approximately fixed output equivalent to a predetermined acceleration is obtained even if the predetermined acceleration operates on said dead-weight movable electrode from any direction on a plane parallel to the surface of said semiconductor substrate.

24. An acceleration sensor comprising:

a substrate;

an anchor fixedly arranged on said substrate;

a plurality of beams, each beam having one end integrated with said anchor, made of the same material as said anchor, and arranged approximately in parallel to a surface of said substrate to be elastically transformed;

a cylindrical dead-weight movable electrode integrated with said beams, made of the same material as said anchor, held over said substrate with said dead-weight movable electrode separated from said substrate by a predetermined radial interval, provided with a detecting face on an approximately cylindrical side in a direction perpendicular to said substrate, and displaceable by applied acceleration in the direction parallel to the surface of said substrate;

a fixed electrode fixedly arranged on said substrate, separated from said detecting face of said dead-weight movable electrode by a predetermined radial interval, and provided with a detected face on an approximately cylindrical side opposite to said detecting face; and

detecting means for detecting said acceleration based upon the change of the distance between said detecting face of said dead-weight movable electrode and said detected face of said fixed electrode.

25. An acceleration sensor according to claim 24, wherein:

said dead-weight movable electrode includes a circular member provided with the approximately cylindrical side on the side of said fixed electrode.

26. An acceleration sensor according to claim 24, wherein:

said anchor is arranged inside said dead-weight movable electrode; and

said fixed electrode is arranged outside said dead-weight movable electrode.

27. An acceleration sensor according to claim 24, wherein:

said anchor is arranged outside said dead-weight movable electrode; and

said fixed electrode is arranged inside said dead-weight movable electrode.

28. An acceleration sensor according to claim 24, wherein:

the distance between said detecting face of said dead-weight movable electrode and said detected face of said fixed electrode is kept approximately uniform when said dead-weight movable electrode is kept stationary.

29. An acceleration sensor according to claim 24, wherein:

said detecting means detects a contact between said detecting face of said dead-weight movable electrode and said detected face of said fixed electrode.

30. An acceleration sensor according to claim 24, further comprising:

a projection provided on at least one face of said dead-weight movable electrode and said detecting face of said fixed electrode.

31. An acceleration sensor according to claim 30, further comprising:

a member for reducing contact resistance provided on the surface of said projection.

32. A sensor according to claim 31 wherein said member for reducing contact resistance comprises a metal formed on said dead-weight movable electrode, on said projection and on said detecting face of said fixed electrode.

33. A sensor according to claim 31 wherein said member for reducing contact resistance comprises a metal formed on said dead-weight movable electrode, on said projection and on said detecting face of said fixed electrode.

34. An acceleration sensor according to claim 24, wherein:

said fixed electrode includes a plurality of divided electrodes; and

said detecting means detects a change of capacity between any of said divided electrodes of said fixed electrode and said detecting face of said dead-weight movable electrode.

35. An acceleration sensor according to claim 34, further comprising:

first and second terminals connected to said detecting means and different in potential;

first wire for electrically connecting said first terminal and said fixed electrode; and

second wire for electrically connecting said second terminal and said anchor.

36. An acceleration sensor according to claim 24, wherein:

a lower electrode arranged on a surface of said substrate under said dead-weight movable electrode and set at an electric potential equal to that of said dead-weight movable electrode.

37. An acceleration sensor according to claim 24, wherein:

said fixed electrode is constructed by the same material as said anchor.

38. An acceleration sensor according to claim 24, wherein:

said anchor, said dead-weight movable electrode, said fixed electrode and said beams are formed by processing and separating an upper substrate arranged on said substrate.

39. An acceleration sensor according to claim 24, wherein:

said plurality of beams are provided at plural locations; and

,

when the total elastic modulus in a first direction parallel to said substrate of said plurality of beams is a first elastic modulus and the total elastic modulus in a second direction which is parallel to said substrate and different from the first direction of said plurality beams is a second elastic modulus, a first distance in said first direction and a second distance in said second direction between said detecting face and said detected face when said acceleration is not applied to said dead-weight movable electrode are set so that they satisfy the following expression;

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">(first elastic modulus)×

(first distance)=(second elastic modulus)×

(second distance).

40. An acceleration sensor comprising:

a first substrate;

a first anchor arranged on said first substrate;

a first plurality of beams, each beam having one end integrated with said first anchor, made of the same material as said first anchor and arranged movably approximately in parallel to the surface of said first substrate by elastic transformation;

a first cylindrical dead-weight movable electrode integrated with said first plurality of beams, made of the same material as said first anchor, held movably over said first substrate with said first dead-weight movable electrode separated from said first substrate by a first predetermined radial interval, provided with a first detecting face on an approximately cylindrical side in the direction perpendicular to said first substrate, and displaceable by applied acceleration in the direction parallel to the surface of said first substrate;

a first fixed electrode fixedly arranged on said first substrate with said first fixed electrode separated from said first detecting face of said first dead-weight movable electrode by a first interval and provided with a first detected face on an approximately cylindrical side opposite to said first detecting face;

a first detecting means for detecting said acceleration based upon a change of distance between said first detecting face of said first dead-weight movable electrode and said first detected face of said first fixed electrode;

a second substrate;

a second anchor arranged on said second substrate;

a second plurality of beams, each beam having one end integrated with said second anchor, made of the same material as said second anchor and movably arranged approximately in parallel to the surface of said second substrate by elastic transformation;

a second cylindrical dead-weight movable electrode integrated with said second plurality of beams, made of the same material as said second anchor, movably held over said second substrate with said second dead-weight movable electrode separated from said second substrate by a second predetermined radial interval, provided with a second detecting face on an approximately cylindrical side in the direction perpendicular to said second substrate and displaceable by said acceleration in the direction approximately parallel to said first dead-weight movable electrode;

a second fixed electrode fixedly arranged on said second substrate with said second fixed electrode separated from said second detecting face of said second dead-weight movable electrode by a second interval and provided with a second detected face on an approximately cylindrical side opposite to said second detecting face; and

a second detecting means for detecting said acceleration based upon a change of distance between said second detecting face of said second dead-weight movable electrode and said second detected face of said second fixed electrode after said first detecting means detects acceleration larger than said predetermined magnitude.

41. An acceleration sensor according to claim 40, wherein:

said second detecting means starts to detect the change of the distance between said second detecting face and said second detected face after said first detecting means detects acceleration larger than said predetermined magnitude.

42. An acceleration sensor according to claim 40, wherein:

said first detecting means detects the contact between said first detecting face and said first detected face.

43. An acceleration sensor according to claim 40, further comprising:

a projection provided on at least one face of said first detecting face and said first detected face.

44. An acceleration sensor according to claim 43, further comprising:

a member for reducing contact resistance provided on the surface of said projection.

45. A sensor according to claim 44 wherein said member for reducing contact resistance comprises a metal formed on said dead-weight movable electrode, on said projection and on said detecting face of said fixed electrode.

46. A sensor according to claim 44 wherein said member for reducing contact resistance comprises a metal formed on said dead-weight movable electrode, on said projection and on said detecting face of said fixed electrode.

47. An acceleration sensor according to claim 40, wherein:

said second fixed electrode includes a plurality of divided electrodes; and

said second detecting means detects a change of capacity between any of said divided electrodes of said second fixed electrode and said second detecting face of said second dead-weight movable electrode.

48. An acceleration sensor according to claim 40, wherein:

said first substrate and said second substrate are integrated on a single substrate; and

said material constituting said first anchor, said first plurality of beams and said first movable electrode is the same material.