Micromechanical component

• US 6,272,926 B1
• Filed: 04/16/1999
• Issued: 08/14/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Schubert, Dietrich, Vossenberg, Heinz-Georg, Fehrenbach, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAPMAN JR, JOHN E
• Application Number:
  US09/293,233
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 735/141.6, 735/141.7, 735/141.8, 735/142.4, 735/143.2, 735/143.8
• US Class Current: 73/514.32
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0235 Accelerometers
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 3/0051 For defining the movement, i.e. structures that guide or limit the movement of an element mechanical arrangements for preventing or damping vibration or shock H01H3/60
• 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

Abstract

A micromechanical component, in particular an acceleration sensor, includes a substrate, at least one spring element and at least one seismic mass. The spring element is joined at a first end to the substrate and at a second end to the mass, and the rigidity of the spring element is set such that a movement of the mass relative to the substrate can be caused by an acceleration parallel to a surface of the substrate. For the spring element, provision is made for a spring limit stop which limits a deformation of the spring element in response to an acceleration parallel to the surface of the substrate.

Claims

1. A micromechanical component, comprising:

a substrate;

a support element;

at least one spring element having a first end joined to the support element;

at least one seismic mass joined to a second end of the at least one spring element, the at least one spring element having a rigidity such that a movement of the at least one seismic mass relative to the substrate is capable of being caused by an acceleration parallel to a surface of the substrate; and

a substrate limit stop disposed on a surface of the substrate and for limiting a movement of the at least one seismic mass perpendicularly to the surface of the substrate in a direction of the substrate, wherein a surface of the substrate limit stop is small in comparison to a surface of the at least one seismic mass, and wherein the substrate limit stop includes an insulating layer and a conductive layer, the insulating layer being deposited directly on the substrate, and the conductive layer being positioned on top of the insulating layer, and wherein the support element is connected to the substrate via the conductive layer and the insulating layer.

2. The micromechanical component according to claim 1, further comprising a mass limit stop for limiting the movement of the at least one seismic mass in response to the acceleration parallel to the surface of the substrate.

3. The micromechanical component according to claim 1, further comprising a spring limit stop disposed on a surface of the substrate for limiting a deformation of the at least one spring element in response to the acceleration parallel to the surface of the substrate.

4. The micromechanical component according to claim 3, further comprising:

a layer deposited on the substrate, wherein;

the at least one spring element, the spring limit stop, and the at least one seismic mass are each formed as a pattern from the layer, and

a height of the at least one spring element is approximately equal to a height of the spring limit stop.

5. The micromechanical component according to claim 4, wherein each one of the substrate and the layer deposited on the substrate includes silicon.

6. The micromechanical component according to claim 1, further comprising:

a mass limit stop for limiting a deflection of the at least one seismic mass parallel to the surface of the substrate.

7. The micromechanical component according to claim 1, wherein the at least one spring element includes a plurality of partial spring elements arranged essentially in parallel to each other.

8. The micromechanical component according to claim 7, further comprising:

a plurality of connecting bars for joining the plurality of partial spring elements to each other.

9. The micromechanical component according to claim 1, further comprising:

a mass limit stop for limiting the movement of the at least one seismic mass in response to the acceleration parallel to the surface of the substrate; and

a spring limit stop disposed on a surface of the substrate for limiting a deformation of the at least one spring element in response to the acceleration parallel to the surface of the substrate.

10. A micromechanical component, comprising:

a substrate;

at least one spring element having a first end joined to the substrate;

at least one seismic mass joined to a second end of the at least one spring element, the at least one spring element having a rigidity such that a movement of the at least one seismic mass relative to the substrate is capable of being caused by an acceleration parallel to a surface of the substrate;

a spring limit stop for limiting a deformation of the at least one spring element in response to the acceleration parallel to the surface of the substrate;

a conductive layer arranged on the substrate for adjusting each one of the at least one spring element, the at least one seismic mass, and the spring limit stop to the same electric potential;

wherein the conductive layer is arranged underneath the at least one seismic mass, and a surface of the conductive layer arranged beneath the at least one seismic mass is small with respect to a surface of the at least one seismic mass.

11. The micromechanical component according to claim 10, wherein the at least one spring element includes a plurality of partial spring elements arranged essentially in parallel to each other.

12. The micromechanical component according to claim 10, further comprising a mass limit stop for limiting the movement of the at least one seismic mass in response to the acceleration parallel to the surface of the substrate.

13. The micromechanical component according to claim 10, further comprising a substrate limit stop disposed on a surface of the substrate and for limiting a movement of the at least one seismic mass perpendicularly to the surface of the substrate in a direction of the substrate.

14. The micromechanical component according to claim 10, further comprising:

a mass limit stop for limiting the movement of the at least one seismic mass in response to the acceleration parallel to the surface of the substrate; and

a substrate limit stop disposed on a surface of the substrate and for limiting a movement of the at least one seismic mass perpendicularly to the surface of the substrate in a direction of the substrate.

15. A micromechanical component, comprising:

a substrate;

at least one spring element having a first end joined to the substrate;

at least one seismic mass joined to a second end of the at least one spring element, the at least one spring element having a rigidity such that a movement of the at least one seismic mass relative to the substrate is capable of being caused by an acceleration parallel to a surface of the substrate;

a mass limit stop for limiting the movement of the at least one seismic mass in response to the acceleration parallel to the surface of the substrate;

a conductive layer arranged on the substrate for adjusting each one of the at least one spring element, the at least one seismic mass, and the mass limit stop to the same electric potential;

wherein the conductive layer is arranged underneath the at least one seismic mass, and a surface of the conductive layer arranged beneath the at least one seismic mass is small with respect to a surface of the at least one seismic mass.

16. The micromechanical component according to claim 15, further comprising a spring limit stop disposed on a surface of the substrate for limiting a deformation of the at least one spring element in response to the acceleration parallel to the surface of the substrate.

17. The micromechanical component according to claim 15, further comprising a substrate limit stop disposed on a surface of the substrate and for limiting a movement of the at least one seismic mass perpendicularly to the surface of the substrate in a direction of the substrate.

18. The micromechanical component according to claim 15, further comprising:

a spring limit stop disposed on a surface of the substrate for limiting a deformation of the at least one spring element in response to the acceleration parallel to the surface of the substrate; and

a substrate limit stop disposed on a surface of the substrate and for limiting a movement of the at least one seismic mass perpendicularly to the surface of the substrate in a direction of the substrate.

19. The micromechanical component according to claim 15, wherein the at least one spring element includes a plurality of partial spring elements arranged essentially in parallel to each other.