Acceleration sensor and a method of producing same

• US 6,041,653 A
• Filed: 12/17/1997
• Issued: 03/28/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Ichikawa, Junichi, Kodama, Seiki
• Primary Examiner(s): MOLLER, RICHARD ALAN
• Application Number:
  US08/992,514
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 73/514.32, 73/514.36, 73/514.35, 73/514.21, 73/514.18, 73/514.17, 73/514.16, 73/514.01, 361/283.3, 361/283.2
• US Class Current: 73/514.32
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0802 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/125 by capacitive pick-up
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/0814 for translational movement of the mass, e.g. shuttle type
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/0817 for pivoting movement of the mass, e.g. in-plane pendulum

Abstract

An acceleration sensor including: a fixed substrate; a fixed electrode mounted on the fixed substrate; a movable body, supported by the fixed substrate and displaced in response to an applied acceleration; a movable electrode which is arranged in the movable body in such a manner that the movable electrode faces the fixed electrode to form, together with the fixed electrode, a capacitor; wherein the movable electrode is mounted between grooves formed in the movable body. The acceleration sensor features improved mechanical strength, compact design and improved sensing accuracy while permitting the manufacturing process to be simplified.

Claims

1. An acceleration sensor comprising:

a first fixed substrate;

a second fixed substrate;

a fixed electrode mounted on said first fixed substrate;

a movable body, sandwiched between said fixed substrates and displaced in response to an applied acceleration; and

a movable electrode which is arranged in said movable body in such a manner that said movable electrode faces said fixed electrode to form, together with said fixed electrode, a capacitor, wherein said movable electrode is mounted between grooves formed in said movable body,

wherein the depth of said grooves is at least 10 times as great as the distance between said movable electrode and said fixed electrode.

2. An acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein said movable electrode is manufactured of the same material as said movable body.

3. An acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein said movable body is manufactured of silicon monocrystal.

4. An acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein said movable electrode is manufactured of an electrically conductive metal film.

5. An acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein the width across said movable electrode is substantially equal to the width across said fixed electrode.

6. An acceleration sensor comprising:

a first fixed substrate;

a second fixed substrate;

a fixed electrode mounted on said first fixed substrate;

a movable body, sandwiched between said fixed substrates and displaced in response to an applied acceleration; and

a movable electrode which is arranged in said movable body in such a manner that said movable electrode faces said fixed electrode to form, together with said fixed electrode, a capacitor, wherein said movable electrode is mounted between grooves formed in said movable body,

wherein said grooves are expanded at the bottom to be wider than at the top.