Semiconductor dynamic quantity sensor

• US 6,990,864 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2002
• Issued: 01/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Sakai, Minekazu
• Primary Examiner(s): KWOK, HELEN C
• Application Number:
  US10/298,604
• Publication Number:
  US 20030101817A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,169 Days
• Field of Search: 735/141.8, 735/143.2, 735/140.2, 735/10, 735/040.2, 735/040.4, 735/041.2, 735/041.4, 735/142.9
• US Class Current: 73/514.32
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/125 by capacitive pick-up
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/18 in two or more dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/0814 for translational movement of the mass, e.g. shuttle type
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/082 for two degrees of freedom of movement of a single mass

Abstract

A semiconductor dynamic quantity sensor includes a semiconductor substrate that includes a movable electrode, a pair of first fixed electrodes, and a pair of second fixed electrodes. The first and second pairs of first detection capacitances and the first and second pairs of second detection capacitances are formed by the electrodes. The dynamic quantity related to the force applied to the sensor is measured on the basis of the sum of the differential output between the first pair of the first detection capacitances, the differential output between the second pair of the first detection capacitances, the differential output between the first pair of the second detection capacitances, and the differential output between the second pair of the second detection capacitances, when the movable electrode moves along the first direction or the second direction under the force. The sum includes a relatively small amount of noises.

Claims

1. A semiconductor sensor for detecting a dynamic quantity related to a force applied to the sensor, the sensor comprising:

a movable electrode displaceable within a semiconductor substrate along a first direction and a second direction, which are substantially orthogonal to each other on a plane parallel to the semiconductor substrate, in response to an applied force;

a first fixed electrode that is stationary in the semiconductor substrate, wherein the first fixed electrode faces the movable electrode along the second direction, wherein the first fixed electrode includes a pair of teeth for forming a first pair of first detection capacitances with the movable electrode;

a second fixed electrode facing the movable electrode along the first direction, wherein the second fixed electrode includes a pair of teeth for forming a first pair of second detection capacitances with the movable electrode;

a carrier wave application device for applying a carrier wave to the first fixed electrode and the second fixed electrode; and

a signal processing circuit connected to the movable electrode,

wherein one of the first pair of first detection capacitances increases while the other decreases when the movable electrode is displaced in the first direction,

wherein the first pair of first detection capacitances increase or decrease together when the movable electrode is displaced in the second direction,

wherein one of the first pair of second detection capacitances increases while the other decreases when the movable electrode is displaced in the second direction,

wherein the first pair of second detection capacitances increase or decrease together when the movable electrode is displaced in the first direction,

wherein the dynamic quantity is measured based upon a differential output of the first pair of first detection capacitances and a differential output of the first pair of second detection capacitances, when the movable electrode is displaced in the first direction or the second direction under the force applied to the sensor, and

wherein the signal processing circuit receives the differential output of the first pair of first detection capacitances and the differential output of the first pair of second detection capacitances after the carrier wave is applied to the fixed electrode by the carrier wave circuit only through the movable electrode.

2. The sensor in claim 1, wherein:

the first fixed electrode and the second fixed electrode are disposed around the movable electrode in the semiconductor substrate; and

the first fixed electrode and the second fixed electrode face outward ends of the movable electrode along the second direction and the first direction, respectively.

3. The sensor in claim 1, wherein:

the first fixed electrode and the second fixed electrode are disposed around the movable electrode in the semiconductor substrate; and

the first fixed electrode and the second fixed electrode face inward ends of the movable electrode along the second direction and the first direction, respectively.

4. The sensor in claim 1, wherein the movable electrode includes a plurality of movable electrode portions, wherein each movable electrode portion is shaped like a comb with teeth and includes a pair of movable electrode teeth, wherein each of the pair of teeth of the first and second fixed electrodes interleaves with a respective movable electrode portion to form the first and second detection capacitances.

5. The sensor in claim 1, further comprising:

a third fixed electrode that is stationary in the semiconductor substrate, wherein the third fixed electrode faces the movable electrode along the second direction, wherein the third fixed electrode includes a pair of teeth for forming a second pair of first detection capacitances with the movable electrode;

a fourth fixed electrode facing the movable electrode along the first direction, wherein the fourth fixed electrode includes a pair of teeth for forming a second pair of second detection capacitances with the movable electrode,

wherein one of the second pair of first detection capacitances increases while the other decreases when the movable electrode is displaced in the first direction,

wherein the second pair of first detection capacitances increase or decrease together when the movable electrode moves along the second direction,

wherein one of the second pair of second detection capacitances increases while the other decreases when the movable electrode is displaced in the second direction,

wherein the second pair of second detection capacitances increase or decrease together when the movable electrode is displaced in the first direction,

wherein the dynamic quantity related to a force applied to the sensor is measured based upon a summation of the differential output of the first pair of first detection capacitances, a differential output of the second pair of first detection capacitances, the differential output of the first pair of second detection capacitances and a differential output of the second pair of second detection capacitances, when the movable electrode is displaced in the first direction or the second direction under the force applied to the sensor.

6. The sensor in claim 5, wherein:

the first, second, third and fourth fixed electrodes are disposed around the movable electrode in the semiconductor substrate;

the first and third fixed electrodes face outward ends of the movable electrode along the second direction; and

the second and fourth fixed electrodes face outward ends of the movable electrode along the first direction.

7. The sensor in claim 5, wherein:

the first, second, third and fourth fixed electrodes are disposed around the movable electrode in the semiconductor substrate;

the first and third fixed electrodes face inward ends of the movable electrode along the second direction; and

the second and fourth fixed electrodes face inward ends of the movable electrode along the first direction.

8. The sensor in claim 5, wherein the movable electrode includes a plurality of movable electrode portions, wherein each movable electrode portion is shaped like a comb with teeth and includes a pair of movable electrode teeth, wherein each of the pair of teeth of the first and third fixed electrodes interleaves with a respective movable electrode portion to form the first and second pair of first detection capacitances, wherein each of the pair of teeth of the second and fourth fixed electrodes interleaves with a respective movable electrode portion to form the first and second pair of second detection capacitances.

9. A semiconductor sensor for detecting a dynamic quantity related to a force applied to the sensor, the sensor comprising:

a movable electrode displaceable within a semiconductor substrate along a first direction and a second direction, which are substantially orthogonal to each other on a plane parallel to the semiconductor substrate, in response to an applied force;

a first fixed electrode that is stationary in the semiconductor substrate, wherein the first fixed electrode faces the movable electrode along the second direction, wherein the first fixed electrode includes a first pair of teeth for forming a first pair of first detection capacitances with the movable electrode, and a second pair of teeth for forming a second pair of first detection capacitances with the movable electrode;

a second fixed electrode facing the movable electrode along the first direction, wherein the second fixed electrode includes a first pair of teeth for forming a first pair of second detection capacitances with the movable electrode, and a second pair of teeth for forming a second pair of second detection capacitances with the movable electrode;

a carrier wave circuit for applying a carrier wave to the first fixed electrode and the second fixed electrode; and

a signal processing circuit connected to the movable electrode,

wherein one of the first pair of first detection capacitances increases while the other decreases when the movable electrode is displaced in the first direction,

wherein the first pair of first detection capacitances increase or decrease together when the movable electrode is displaced in the second direction,

wherein one of the second pair of first detection capacitances increases while the other decreases when the movable electrode is displaced in the first direction,

wherein the second pair of first detection capacitances increase or decrease together when the movable electrode moves along the second direction,

wherein one of the first pair of second detection capacitances increases while the other decreases when the movable electrode is displaced in the second direction,

wherein the first pair of second detection capacitances increase or decrease together when the movable electrode is displaced in the first direction,

wherein one of the second pair of second detection capacitances increases while the other decreases when the movable electrode is displaced in the second direction,

wherein the second pair of second detection capacitances increase or decrease together when the movable electrode moves along the first direction,

wherein the dynamic quantity is measured based upon a differential output of the first pair of first detection capacitances, a differential output of the second pair of first detection capacitances, a differential output of the first pair of second detection capacitances, and a differential output of the second pair of second detection capacitances when the movable electrode is displaced in the first direction or the second direction under the force applied to the sensor,

wherein the signal processing circuit receives the differential output of the first pair of first detection capacitances and the differential output of the first pair of second detection capacitances after the carrier wave is applied to the first and second fixed electrodes by the carrier wave circuit only through the movable electrode.