Sensor, composed of a multilayer substrate, having a spring element that is delineated out of a semiconductor layer

• US 6,536,282 B1
• Filed: 05/03/2000
• Issued: 03/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Hauer, Joerg, Lutz, Markus, Kipp, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Chapman, John E.
• Application Number:
  US09/564,085
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• Field of Search: 735/143.2, 735/143.8, 735/142.4, 735/041.2, 735/041.4, 361/280, 257/417
• US Class Current: 73/514.38
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5733 Structural details or topology
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5783 Mountings or housings not specific to any of the devices covered by groups G01C19/5607 - G01C19/5719
• 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 sensor, composed of a multilayer substrate, having a first semiconductor layer in which at least one spring element is configured using patterning, the spring element having two arms running essentially parallel to each other and joining to each other at one end segment, the first arm being mounted on a support block and the second arm being joined to a mass that is movable with respect to the support block, in order to avoid a fracture of the spring elements in response to powerful deflections perpendicular to the semiconductor layer. The at least one spring element is configured so that the end segments of the arms in the longitudinal direction of the arms in the plane of the semiconductor layer are directed so as to be initially bent away from each other and then so as to be bent towards each other, joining each other in a central bent area.

Claims

1. A sensor comprising:

a multilayer substrate;

a first semiconductor layer;

a support block;

a mass movable relative to the support block; and

at least one spring element formed in the first semiconductor layer using patterning, the at least one spring element having first and second arms, the first and second arms being joined to each other at end segments and extending substantially parallel to each other, the first arm being mounted on the support block, the second arm being joined to the mass, the end segments of the first and second arms in a longitudinal direction of the first and second arms in a plane of the first semiconductor layer being configured so as to be initially bent away from each other and then bent towards each other, joining each other in a central bent area.

2. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the at least one spring element is composed of silicon.

3. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the central bent area is substantially spherical.

4. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein an interior radius of curvature in the central bent area is larger than a distance between parallel arm segments.

5. An acceleration sensor, comprising:

a multilayer substrate;

a first semiconductor layer;

a support block;

a mass movable relative to the support block; and

at least one spring element formed in the first semiconductor layer using patterning, the at least one spring element having first and second arms, the first and second arms being joined to each other at end segments and extending substantially parallel to each other, the first arm being mounted on the support block, the second arm being joined to the mass, the end segments of the first and second arms in a longitudinal direction of the first and second arms in a plane of the first semiconductor layer being configured so as to be initially bent away from each other and then bent towards each other, joining each other in a central bent area.

6. An rpm sensor, comprising:

a multilayer substrate;

a first semiconductor layer;

a support block;

a mass movable relative to the support block; and

at least one spring element formed in the first semiconductor layer using patterning, the at least one spring element having first and second arms, the first and second arms being joined to each other at end segments and extending substantially parallel to each other, the first arm being mounted on the support block, the second arm being joined to the mass, the end segments of the first and second arms in a longitudinal direction of the first and second arms in a plane of the first semiconductor layer being configured so as to be initially bent away from each other and then bent towards each other, joining each other in a central bent area.