Method of producing an inertial sensor

• US 7,401,397 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2006
• Issued: 07/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: California Institute of Technology, The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: California Institute of Technology, The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Shcheglov, Kirill V., Challoner, A. Dorian
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Paul D
• Application Number:
  US11/371,596
• Publication Number:
  US 20060162146A1
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: 295/921, 295/94, 295/95, 296/091, 735/040.4, 7350412-50416
• US Class Current: 29/595
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5684 the devices involving a micromechanical structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49005 Acoustic transducer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49007 Indicating transducer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4908 Acoustic transducer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49128 Assembling formed circuit to base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49155 Manufacturing circuit on or in base

Abstract

The present invention discloses an inertial sensor comprising a planar mechanical resonator with embedded sensing and actuation for substantially in-plane vibration and having a central rigid support for the resonator. At least one excitation or torquer electrode is disposed within an interior of the resonator to excite in-plane vibration of the resonator and at least one sensing or pickoff electrode is disposed within the interior of the resonator for sensing the motion of the excited resonator. In one embodiment, the planar resonator includes a plurality of slots in an annular pattern; in another embodiment, the planar mechanical resonator comprises four masses; each embodiment having a simple degenerate pair of in-plane vibration modes.

Claims

1. A method producing an inertial sensor, comprising the steps of:

providing a planar mechanical resonator for substantially in-plane solid disc vibration with two isolated and degenerate resonator modes for Coriolis sensing having a central mounting point;

supporting the planar mechanical resonator at the central mounting point;

providing at least one excitation electrode within an interior of the resonator to excite vibration of the isolated and degenerate resonator modes; and

providing at least one sensing electrode within the interior of the planar mechanical resonator for sensing the vibration of the isolated and degenerate resonator modes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein planar resonator vibration is substantially isolated from the central mounting point.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the in-plane solid disc vibration comprises substantially radial motion about the central mounting point.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising a baseplate supporting the central mounting point, excitation electrodes and sensing electrode.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the sensor is produced by etching the baseplate, bonding a wafer to the etched baseplate and through-etching the wafer to form the planar mechanical resonator, excitation electrode and sensing electrode.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising grinding and polishing the through-etched wafer to a desired thickness.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein through etching the wafer also forms a case vacuum wall for the inertial sensor.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the planar mechanical resonator comprises a plurality of slots.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of slots are arranged in an annular pattern around the central mounting point.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of slots are arranged with substantially uniform radial spacing around the central mounting point.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of slots are arranged in a symmetric pattern.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one excitation electrode is disposed within one or more of the plurality of slots.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one excitation electrode is disposed within one or more inner slots of the plurality of slots.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one sensing electrode is disposed with one or more of the plurality of slots.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one sensing electrode is disposed within one or more outer slots of the plurality of slots.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the planar mechanical resonator comprises four masses, each having a simple degenerate pair of in-plane vibration modes.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the planar mechanical resonator has two degenerate in-plane system modes producing symmetric motion of the four masses for Coriolis sensing.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an integral case vacuum wall formed from a same wafer as the planar mechanical resonator.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an end cap wafer bonded to a case wall with a vacuum seal.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the end cap wafer includes readout electronics for the inertial sensor.