Integrated gyroscope of semiconductor material
First Claim
1. An integrated gyroscope, comprising:
- a driving group including a driving mass having an open concave shape;
an acceleration sensor including a sensing mass having a peripheral portion not facing said driving mass and a sensing group of a capacitive type, said sensing mass being surrounded by said driving mass and said sensing group comprising mobile sensing electrodes integral with said sensing mass and extending from said peripheral portion of said sensing mass; and
a linkage connecting said driving mass to said sensing mass.
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Abstract
The gyroscope is formed by a driving system including a driving mass having an open concave shape; an accelerometer including a sensing mass and comprising mobile sensing electrodes; a linkage connecting the driving mass to the sensing mass. The sensing mass is surrounded on three sides by the driving mass and has a peripheral portion not facing the sensing mass. The mobile sensing electrodes extend integral with the sensing mass from the peripheral portion not facing the driving mass and are interleaved with fixed sensing electrodes. Thereby, there are no passing electrical connections extending below the sensing mass. Moreover the linkage includes springs placed equidistant from the center of gravity of the accelerometer, and the gyroscope is anchored to the substrate with anchoring springs placed equidistant from the center of gravity of the assembly formed by the driving system and by the accelerometer.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. An integrated gyroscope, comprising:
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a driving group including a driving mass having an open concave shape;
an acceleration sensor including a sensing mass having a peripheral portion not facing said driving mass and a sensing group of a capacitive type, said sensing mass being surrounded by said driving mass and said sensing group comprising mobile sensing electrodes integral with said sensing mass and extending from said peripheral portion of said sensing mass; and
a linkage connecting said driving mass to said sensing mass. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An acceleration sensor, comprising:
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a semiconductor substrate;
a driving mass coupled to the substrate and configured to oscillate in a first direction parallel to an upper surface of the substrate, the driving mass having a concavity;
a sensing mass coupled to the driving mass and suspended within the concavity;
a mobile sensing electrode coupled to the sensing mass and extending in a direction away from the driving mass; and
a pair of fixed sensing electrodes coupled to the substrate and positioned on opposite sides of the mobile sensing electrode and configured to detect motion of the mobile sensing electrode in a direction perpendicular to the first direction and parallel to the upper surface of the substrate. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method, comprising:
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oscillating a first mass in a first direction relative to a substrate, the first mass being coupled resiliently to the substrate; and
measuring acceleration of the substrate by sensing motion in a second direction relative to the substrate of a second mass perpendicular to the first direction, the second mass being coupled resiliently within a concave opening of the first mass. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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Specification