Microelectromechanical system

• US 7,170,140 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2005
• Issued: 01/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Safran Colibrys SA
• Original Assignee: Colibrys Incorporated (Safran Sensing Technologies Switzerland SA)
• Inventors: Dutoit, Bertrand, Stauffer, Jean-Michel, Birling, Sophie, Dupraz, Yves
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CUONG QUANG
• Application Number:
  US11/070,786
• Publication Number:
  US 20050194652A1
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• Field of Search: 257415-420
• US Class Current: 257/417
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0802 Details
• 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 2015/0828 the mass being of the paddle type being suspended at one of its longitudinal ends

Abstract

Microelectromechanical system (MEMS) comprising:

• • an active part (5) comprising an electromechanical device (28),
  • at least one base (6) for fastening said microsystem on a support (8),
  • at least one fastener (21, 21′) fastening said active part (5) to said at least one base (6) and allowing a displacement of said active part (5) relatively to said at least one base (6) along an axis (Z) more or less perpendicular to the plane of said support (8) when said microsystem is fastened onto said support (8), bumper elements (27, 27′, 37′) for limiting the amplitude of the displacements of said active part (5) relatively to said at least one base (6) along said perpendicular axis (Z).

The active part (5) being capable of moving relatively to the base (6) to which it is fastened, it is isolated from any mechanical constraint that could be sustained by the base (6), in particular torsion or flexion due to it being fastened onto a support (8). On the other hand, since the movements of the active part (5) are limited by the bumper elements (27, 37, 27′, 37′), it can be guaranteed thanks to the invention that the fastener or fasteners (21, 21′) will not be stretched beyond their elasticity range, thus avoiding their irreversible deformation and/or their rupture.

Claims

1. A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) comprising:

an electromechanical active part,

at least one base for fastening said microsystem on a support,

at least one fastener fastening said active part to said at least one base and allowing a displacement of said active part relatively to said at least one base along an axis more or less perpendicular to the plane of said support when said microsystem is fastened onto said support,

bumper elements for limiting the amplitude of the displacements of said active part relatively to said at least one base along said perpendicular axis.

2. The microsystem of claim 1, said microsystem being an accelerometer, said active part comprising a centrifugal mass whose displacements along at least one measuring axis cause variations of an electrical value.

3. The microsystem of claim 2, said at least one measuring axis being more or less parallel to said perpendicular axis.

4. The microsystem of claim 1, said at least one fastener allowing a displacement of said active part relatively to said at least one base along an axis more or less parallel to the plane of said support when said microsystem is fastened onto said support, said microsystem comprising bumper elements for limiting the amplitude of the displacements of said active part relatively to said at least one base along said parallel axis.

5. The microsystem of claim 1, said at least one fastener allowing displacements of said active part relatively to said at least one base along two linearly independent axes more or less parallel to the plane of said support when said microsystem is fastened onto said support, said microsystem comprising bumper elements for limiting the amplitude of the displacements of said active part relatively to said at least one base along said two parallel axes.

6. The microsystem of claim 1, said at least one fastener allowing a rotation of said active part relatively to said at least one base around said perpendicular axis, said microsystem comprising bumper elements for limiting the amplitude of the rotations of said active part relatively to said at least one base around said perpendicular axis.

7. The microsystem of claim 1, said at least one fastener allowing a rotation of said active part relatively to said at least one base around an axis more or less parallel to the plane of said support when said microsystem is fastened onto said support, said microsystem comprising bumper elements for limiting the amplitude of the rotations of said active part relatively to said at least one base around said parallel axis.

8. The microsystem of claim 1, said at least one fastener allowing rotations of said active part relatively to said at least one base around two linearly independent axes more or less parallel to the plane of said support when said microsystem is fastened onto said support, said microsystem comprising bumper elements for limiting the amplitude of the rotations of said active part relatively to said at least one base around said two parallel axes.

9. The microsystem of claim 1, said active part being suspended to said at least one base by said at least one fastener when said at least one base is fastened onto said support.

10. The microsystem of claim 1, said at least one fastener being elastic, said bumper elements limiting the amplitude of the movements of said active part relatively to said at least one base inside the elasticity range of said at least one fastener.

11. The microsystem of claim 10, the elasticity of said at least one fastener being different according to the directions.

12. The microsystem of claim 11, the elasticity of said at least one fastener being maximal along an axis more or less parallel to the plane of said support and minimal along an axis more or less perpendicular to the plane of said support.

13. The microsystem of claim 1, said bumper elements comprising at least one bumper formed on said active part and working with said at least one base for limiting the amplitude of the displacements of said active part relatively to said at least one base along an axis more or less parallel to the plane of said support.

14. The microsystem of claim 13, said bumper being constituted of a protruding part on a side of said active part opposite said at least one base, the length of said bumper being perceptibly shorter than the length of said side.

15. The microsystem of claim 1, said bumper elements comprising at least one bumper formed on said at least one base and working with said active part for limiting the amplitude of the displacements of said active part relatively to said at least one base along an axis more or less parallel to the plane of said support.

16. The microsystem of claim 1, said bumper elements comprising at least one rigid mechanical element fixedly united with said active part and working with said at least one base for limiting the amplitude of the displacements of said active part relatively to said at least one base along an axis more or less perpendicular to the plane of said support.

17. The microsystem of claim 16, said at least one rigid mechanical element being a beam working with a recess formed in said at least one base.

18. The microsystem of claim 1, said bumper elements comprising at least one rigid mechanical element fixedly united with said at least one base and working with said active part for limiting the amplitude of the displacements of said active part relatively to said at least one base along an axis more or less perpendicular to the plane of said support.

19. The microsystem of claim 18, said at least one rigid mechanical element being a beam working with a recess formed in said active part.

20. The microsystem of claim 16, said at least one rigid mechanical element further limiting the amplitude of the displacements of said active part relatively to said at least one base along an axis more or less parallel to the plane of said support.

21. The microsystem of claim 16, said at least one rigid mechanical element further limiting the amplitude of the rotations of said active part relatively to said at least one base around an axis more or less parallel to the plane of said support.

22. The microsystem of claim 16, said at least one rigid mechanical element further limiting the amplitude of the rotations of said active part relatively to said at least one base around two linearly independent axes more or less parallel to the plane of said support.

23. The microsystem of claim 16, said at least one rigid mechanical element further limiting the amplitude of the rotations of said active part relatively to said at least one base around an axis more or less perpendicular to the plane of said support.

24. The microsystem of claim 1, comprising at least three superimposed layers of conducting material, said at least three layers comprising a lower layer, an middle layer and an upper layer.

25. The microsystem of claim 24, said middle layer being formed and structured on said lower layer or on said upper layer.

26. The microsystem of claim 25, said middle layer being formed by depositing semiconductor material onto an isolating surface formed on said lower layer or on said upper layer (SOI, Silicon on Insulator technology).

27. The microsystem of claim 24, said at least one fastener being formed by structuring said middle layer.

28. The microsystem of claim 24, at least one bumper element of said bumper elements being formed by structuring said middle layer.

29. The microsystem of claim 28, said at least one bumper element being a beam fixedly united with said active part and extending until said at least one base.

30. The microsystem of claim 28, said at least one bumper element being a beam fixedly united with said at least one base and extending until said active part.

31. The microsystem of claim 29, said beam being at least partially lodged in a recess formed by structuring said middle layer around said beam, the perimeter of said recess being closed by said lower layer and by said upper layer.

32. The microsystem of claim 1, comprising two bases arranged on either side of said active part, said active part being fastened to said at least one base by four fasteners.

33. Device comprising a microsystem according to claim 1 and a support, said microsystem being fastened onto said support.

34. Device according to claim 33, said support further comprising an electronic circuit for managing said active part.

35. Device according to claim 34, said microsystem being an accelerometer, said electromechanical device comprising a centrifugal mass whose displacements along at least one measuring axis cause variations of an electric value, said electronic circuit allowing said variations to be interpreted.

36. Device according to claim 33, a hood being fastened onto said support around said microsystem for limiting the amplitude of the displacements of said active part.