Trenches to reduce charging effects and to control out-of-plane sensitivities in tuning fork gyroscopes and other sensors

• US 5,952,574 A
• Filed: 04/29/1997
• Issued: 09/14/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Incorporated
• Inventors: Hopkins, Ralph E. III, Ward, Paul A., Weinberg, Marc S., Kourepenis, Anthony S., Cho, Steven T., Hildebrant, Eric M., Niles, Lance C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOLLER, RICHARD ALAN
• Application Number:
  US08/841,224
• Time in Patent Office: 868 Days
• Field of Search: 73/504.16, 73/504.15, 73/504.12, 73/504.02, 73/504.03, 73/504.04, 73/514.29, 73/514.32, 310/370, 310/311, 310/309, 216/2, 438/50
• US Class Current: 73/504.16
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5719 using planar vibrating masses driven in a translation vibration along an axis

Abstract

Trenches which reduce or eliminate force and sensitivity associated with proof mass motion normal to the substrate as a result of voltage transients is disclosed. The trenches provide increased separation between interleaved comb electrodes and the substrate, and thereby also reduce the comb lift to drive ratio. The trenches are typically formed directly below the interleaved comb electrodes, but may also be formed below other suspended portions. Trench depth is from 6-10 microns and provides a comb electrode to substrate separation of approximately 8.5-12.5 microns.

Claims

1. A drive for imparting a vibratory force to a vibrating member with a driving member, the vibrating member suspended above a surface of a substrate by a support flexure, comprising:

first comb electrodes connected to the driving member;

second comb electrodes connected to the vibrating member, said second comb electrodes interleaved with said first comb electrodes, an overlap region defined thereby, a gap being defined between the substrate surface and the interleaved comb electrodes; and

a trench formed in the substrate substantially between the interleaved comb electrodes and the substrate such that the gap between the substrate surface and the interleaved comb electrodes is increased.

2. The drive of claim 1 wherein said trench has a width dimension which is greater than or equal to said overlap region.

3. The drive of claim 2 wherein said trench has a depth dimension which is from 6 μ

m to 10 μ

m, inclusive.

4. The drive of claim 3 wherein said trench is formed by a dissolved wafer process.

5. The drive of claim 2 wherein said trench has a depth dimension which is greater than 10μ

m.

6. The drive of claim 5 wherein said trench is formed by a technique selected from the group consisting of reactive ion etching, chlorine etching, SF₆ etching and anisotropic etching.

7. A tuning fork gyroscope comprising:

a substrate with a surface;

an outer drive with comb electrodes;

an inner drive with comb electrodes;

proof masses with inner and outer comb electrodes, said proof masses suspended above said substrate by support flexure, said inner comb electrodes interleaved with said inner drive comb electrodes and said outer comb electrodes interleaved with said outer drive comb electrodes, an overlap region defined by said interleaved comb electrodes, a gap being defined between the substrate surface and the interleaved comb electrodes; and

trenches formed in said substrate substantially between said inner interleaved comb electrodes and said substrate such that the gap between said substrate surface and said inner interleaved comb electrodes is increased.

8. The tuning fork gyroscope of claim 7 wherein said trenches have a width dimension which is greater than or equal to said overlap region.

9. The tuning fork gyroscope of claim 8 wherein said trenches have a depth dimension which is from 6 μ

m to 10 μ

m, inclusive.

10. The tuning fork gyroscope of claim 8 wherein said trenches have a depth dimension which is greater than 10 μ

m.

11. The tuning fork gyroscope of claim 9 wherein said gap is increased by said trenches from about 2.5 μ

m to a gap from 8.5 μ

m to 12.5 μ

m, inclusive.

12. The tuning fork gyroscope of claim 8 wherein trenches are also formed in said substrate substantially between the outer interleaved comb electrodes and the substrate.

13. The tuning fork gyroscope of claim 12 wherein said trenches have a depth dimension which is from 6 μ

m to 10 μ

m, inclusive.

14. The tuning fork gyroscope of claim 12 wherein said trenches have a depth dimension which is greater than 10 μ

m.

15. The tuning fork gyroscope of claim 13 wherein said gap is increased by said trenches from about 2.5 μ

m to a gap from 8.5 μ

m to 12.5 μ

m, inclusive.

16. The tuning fork gyroscope of claim 7 wherein trenches are also formed in said substrate substantially between the support flexure and the substrate.

17. In a tuning fork gyroscope having interleaved comb electrodes defining an overlap region and a substrate surface with a gap defined therebetween, a method for alleviating undesirable effects of substrate voltage transients on gyroscope operation comprising the step of:

increasing the gap between the interleaved comb electrodes and the substrate surface by forming a trench in the substrate substantially between the interleaved comb electrodes and the substrate in the overlap region of the interleaved comb electrodes.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein said step of forming the trench is accomplished by a technique selected from the group consisting of reactive ion etching, chlorine etching, SF₆ etching and anisotropic etching.

18. In a tuning fork gyroscope having interleaved comb electrodes and a substrate surface with a gap defined therebetween, and a support flexure, a method for alleviating undesirable effects of substrate voltage transients on gyroscope operation comprising the step of:

increasing the gap between the interleaved comb electrodes and the substrate surface by forming trenches below the interleaved comb electrodes and forming trenches below the support flexure.