Cyrogenic inertial micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) device

• US 6,487,864 B1
• Filed: 04/23/2002
• Issued: 12/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Johnson, Burgess R., Platt, William P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Esquivel, Denise L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jones, Melvin
• Application Number:
  US10/127,976
• Time in Patent Office: 224 Days
• Field of Search: 62/32, 62/36, 62/37, 622/592, 62/511
• US Class Current: 62/3.2
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 21/02 using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2400/15 Microelectro-mechanical devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5719 using planar vibrating masses driven in a translation vibration along an axis

Abstract

A cryogenic inertial Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) device is provided. The device may include a vibratory gyroscope operable to sense a rotational acceleration. The device may also include a pre-amplifier co-located in a close proximity to the vibratory gyroscope. The device may be operated at substantially low temperatures, such as cryogenic temperatures, to reduce electrical noise and improve stability of outputs of the system.

Claims

1. A Micro-Electro-Mechanical-System (MEMS) comprising:

a housing;

a cryogenic inertial MEMS device arranged within the housing, the cryogenic inertial MEMS device operable to detect a change in an angular rate of motion; and

an amplifier coupled to the cryogenic inertial MEMS device and located within a close proximity of the housing,

thereby enabling the cryogenic inertial MEMS device to operate at cryogenic temperatures.

2. The MEMS of claim 1, wherein the amplifier and the cryogenic inertial MEMS device are both located within the housing.

3. The MEMS of claim 1, wherein one of the amplifier and the cryogenic inertial MEMS device is located within the housing and the other of the amplifier and the cryogenic inertial MEMS device is located within a second housing.

4. The MEMS of claim 1, wherein the cryogenic temperatures are at most about 200 degrees Kelvin.

5. The MEMS of claim 1, wherein the cryogenic inertial MEMS device comprises super conducting materials.

6. The MEMS of claim 1, wherein the cryogenic inertial MEMS device comprises cryogenic electronics.

7. The MEMS of claim 1, wherein the cryogenic inertial MEMS device comprises super conducting materials and cryogenic electronics.

8. The MEMS of claim 1, wherein the cryogenic inertial MEMS device is selected from the group consisting of a MEMS vibratory gyroscope, a MEMS accelerometer, a MEMS tuning fork gyroscope and a MEMS torsional gyroscope.

9. The MEMS of claim 1, wherein the amplifier is a super conducting quantum interference device amplifier (SQUID).

10. A cryogenic inertial Micro-Electric-Mechanical-System (MEMS) device operating at a cryogenic temperature.

11. The cryogenic inertial MEMS device of claim 10, wherein the device comprises cryogenic electronics.

12. The cryogenic inertial MEMS device of claim 10, wherein the device comprises super conducting materials.

13. The cryogenic inertial MEMS device of claim 10, wherein the device comprises super conducting materials and cryogenic electronics.

14. The cryogenic inertial MEMS device of claim 10, wherein the device further comprises a super conducting quantum interference device amplifier (SQUID).

15. The cryogenic inertial MEMS device of claim 10, wherein the device is maintained at the cryogenic temperature using thermoelectric cooling.

16. The cryogenic inertial MEMS device of claim 10, wherein the cryogenic temperature is at most about 200 degrees Kelvin.

17. The cryogenic inertial MEMS device of claim 10, wherein the device is operated in outer space.

18. The cryogenic inertial MEMS device of claim 10, wherein the device is selected from the group consisting of a MEMS vibratory gyroscope, a MEMS accelerometer, a MEMS tuning fork gyroscope, and a MEMS torsional gyroscope.

19. A method comprising operating an inertial Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) device at a cryogenic temperature.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein operating the inertial MEMS device at the cryogenic temperature comprises providing the inertial MEMS device comprised of cryogenic electronics.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein operating the inertial MEMS device at the cryogenic temperature comprises providing the inertial MEMS device comprised of super conducting materials.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein operating the inertial MEMS device at the cryogenic temperature comprises providing the inertial MEMS device comprised of super conducting materials and cryogenic electronics.

23. The method of claim 19 further comprising thermoelectrically cooling the inertial MEMS device to maintain the cryogenic temperature.

24. A method of sensing an angular rate of motion comprising operating an inertial Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) device at a cryogenic temperature.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein operating the inertial MEMS device at the cryogenic temperature, the device is maintained at the cryogenic temperature using thermoelectric cooling.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein operating the inertial MEMS device at the cryogenic temperature, the device is operated in outer space.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein operating the inertial MEMS device at the cryogenic temperature comprises operating the inertial MEMS device at a temperature of at most about 200 degrees Kelvin.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein operating the inertial MEMS device at the cryogenic temperature comprises providing the inertial MEMS device comprised of cryogenic electronics.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein operating the inertial MEMS device at the cryogenic temperature comprises providing the inertial MEMS device comprised of super conducting materials.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein operating the inertial MEMS device at the cryogenic temperature comprises providing the inertial MEMS device comprised of super conducting materials and cryogenic electronics.

31. The method of claim 24, wherein operating the inertial MEMS device at the cryogenic temperature comprises:

capacitively coupling at least one proof mass to at least one sense plate;

oscillating the at least one proof mass horizontally along a first oscillation axis; and

detecting a change in the oscillation of the at least one proof mass, wherein the change in the oscillation of the at least one proof mass occurs along a second oscillation axis,

wherein the change in the oscillation of the at least one proof mass results from a Coriolis force applied to the inertial MEMS device, wherein the Coriolis force is applied along a third axis, and

wherein the change in the oscillation of the at least one proof mass results in a change in capacitance between the at least one proof mass and the at least one sense plate.

32. A method comprising:

providing a housing;

providing an inertial Micro-Electro-Mechanical-System (MEMS) device coupled to a pre-amplifier;

co-locating the inertial MEMS device and the pre-amplifier within a close proximity of the housing; and

operating the inertial MEMS device and the pre-amplifier at cryogenic temperatures.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein providing the inertial MEMS device comprises providing a device selected from the group consisting of a MEMS vibratory gyroscope, a MEMS accelerometer, a MEMS tuning fork gyroscope, and a MEMS torsional gyroscope.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein providing the inertial MEMS device comprises providing the inertial MEMS device comprised of super conducting materials.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein providing the inertial MEMS device comprises providing the inertial MEMS device comprised of cryogenic electronics.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein providing the inertial MEMS device comprises providing the inertial MEMS device comprised of super conducting materials and cryogenic electronics.

37. The method of claim 32, wherein providing the inertial MEMS device coupled to the pre-amplifier comprises coupling the inertial MEMS device to a super conducting quantum interference device amplifier (SQUID).

38. The method of claim 32, wherein co-locating the inertial MEMS device and the pre-amplifier within the close proximity of the housing comprises arranging the inertial MEMS device and the pre-amplifier to be within the housing.

39. The method of claim 32, wherein co-locating the inertial MEMS device and the pre-amplifier within the close proximity of the housing comprises arranging one of the inertial MEMS device and the pre-amplifier to be within the housing and arranging the other of the inertial MEMS device and the pre-amplifier to be within a separate housing.