Silicon base plate with low parasitic electrical interference for sensors

• US 6,405,594 B1
• Filed: 07/06/2000
• Issued: 06/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Gutierrez, Roman C., Tang, Tony K.
• Primary Examiner(s): MOLLER, RICHARD ALAN
• Application Number:
  US09/612,327
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 735/143.5, 735/040.2, 735/040.3, 735/040.4, 735/041.2, 735/041.4, 735/142.9, 257/415
• US Class Current: 73/504.02
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/00357 involving bonding one or several substrates on a non-temporary support, e.g. another substrate
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2201/019 Bonding or gluing multiple substrate layers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5719 using planar vibrating masses driven in a translation vibration along an axis

Abstract

A microgyroscope has a baseplate made of the same material as the rest of the microgyroscope. The baseplate is a silicon baseplate having a heavily p-doped epilayer covered by a thick dielectric film and metal electrodes. The metal electrodes are isolated from the ground plane by the dielectric. This provides very low parasitic capacitive coupling between the electrodes. The thick dielectric reduces the capacitance between the electrodes and the ground plane.

Claims

1. A method of forming a baseplate for a microgyroscope comprising:

forming a substrate layer;

covering the substrate layer with a epilayer;

positioning a dielectric layer on the epilayer; and

isolating a plurality of metal electrodes from the substrate layer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal electrodes are isolated by the dielectric layer, thereby reducing parasitic capacitance.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the dielectric layer is approximately 3 to 4 microns thick.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the dielectric layer is greater than 4 microns thick.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the epilayer is a heavily p-doped epilayer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the baseplate is formed of silicon.

7. A microgyroscope comprising:

a substrate;

an epilayer which covers the substrate;

a dielectric layer formed over the epilayer; and

a plurality of metal electrodes formed on the dielectric layer, wherein the dielectric layer isolates the plurality of metal electrodes from the substrate.

8. The microgyroscope of claim 7, wherein the substrate is grounded.

9. The microgyroscope of claim 7, wherein the epilayer is p-doped.

10. The microgyroscope of claim 7, wherein the dielectric layer is approximately 3-4 microns thick.

11. The microgyroscope of claim 7, wherein the dielectric layer is thicker than 4 microns.

12. The microgyroscope of claim 7, wherein the dielectric layer reduces parasitic capacitance between the metal electrodes.