Inertial sensor and manufacturing method of the same

• US 7,658,109 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2007
• Issued: 02/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Fukuda, Hiroshi, Fujimori, Tsukasa, Hanaoka, Yuko
• Primary Examiner(s): Kwok; Helen C.
• Application Number:
  US11/764,096
• Publication Number:
  US 20080196502A1
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 735/143.2, 735/142.9, 735/141.6, 735/143.6, 735/143.8, 735/041.5, 735/10, 735/11
• US Class Current: 73/514.32
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/08 with conversion into electric or magnetic values
• 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 2015/0828 the mass being of the paddle type being suspended at one of its longitudinal ends
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/084 the mass being suspended at more than one of its sides, e.g. membrane-type suspension, so as to permit multi-axis movement of the mass
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

A weight of an inertial sensor if formed from a plurality of divided weights, and the divided weights are connected to each other by elastically deformable beams. A movable range and a mass of each of the divided weights and a rigidity of each of the beams are adjusted and a plurality of deformation modes having different sensitivity ranges with respect to the acceleration are used in combination. By this means, it is possible to improve a detecting sensitivity of an acceleration and widen an acceleration response range.

Claims

1. An inertial sensor comprising:

a cavity portion formed on a substrate;

a weight suspended in the cavity portion via elastically deformable elastic bodies; and

a fixed electrode provided in the cavity portion,

wherein a position change of the weight due to an acceleration is detected on the basis of a change of an electrostatic capacitance between the weight and the fixed electrode,

the weight is divided into a plurality of divided weights, and

each of the plurality of divided weights is directly connected to an adjacent divided weight by an elastically deformable elastic body such that a portion of a translational component of motion of each divided weight caused by the acceleration is transmitted to the adjacent divided weight.

2. The inertial sensor according to claim 1, further comprising:

a lid which seals the cavity portion; and

a support portion which supports the lid and is provided inside the cavity portion,

wherein the support portion is formed among the plurality of divided weights.

3. The inertial sensor according to claim 1,

wherein masses of the plurality of divided weights are equal to each other, and rigidities of the elastic bodies which connect the plurality of divided weights are also equal to each other.

4. The inertial sensor according to claim 1,

wherein masses of the plurality of divided weights are different from each other, and rigidities of the elastic bodies which connect the plurality of divided weights are also different from each other.

5. The inertial sensor according to claim 1,

wherein there is a limit to a movable range of the plurality of divided weights.

6. The inertial sensor according to claim 1,

wherein a movable structure body constituted by the plurality of divided weights and the elastic bodies which connect the plurality of divided weights has a plurality of deformation modes having different sensitivity regions to an acceleration.

7. The inertial sensor according to claim 1,

wherein the plurality of divided weights are arranged on the substrate in a two-dimensional manner.

8. The inertial sensor according to claim 1,

wherein the plurality of divided weights are arranged on the substrate in a one-dimensional manner.

9. The inertial sensor according to claim 1, wherein an insulating material is provided between at least a portion of the weight and the fixed electrode.

10. The inertial sensor according to claim 1, wherein each divided weight is connected so as to allow both a translational component and a rotational component of motion in response to the acceleration.

11. The inertial sensor according to claim 1, wherein the entirety of the weight moves toward or away from the fixed electrode in response to the acceleration.

12. The inertial sensor according to claim 1, wherein at least two of the plurality of divided weights, which are directly connected to each other, are supported only by respective connections to adjacent divided weights through elastically deformable elastic bodies.

13. An inertial sensor comprising:

a common fixed electrode; and

an inertial mass portion including a plurality of weights supported in a spaced relationship from the common fixed electrode, each weight being directly connected to an adjacent one of the plurality of weights by an elastically deformable elastic body,

wherein a position change of the inertial mass portion due to an acceleration is detected by a change in an electrostatic capacitance between the inertial mass portion and the common fixed electrode, and

each weight is supported so as to allow both a translational component and a rotational component of motion of that weight in response to the acceleration.

14. The inertial sensor according to claim 13, further comprising a cavity portion, the plurality of weights being suspended in the cavity portion.

15. The inertial sensor according to claim 14, further comprising a support provided inside the cavity portion and disposed so as to support a lid that seals the cavity portion.

16. The inertial sensor according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of weights are arranged as a two-dimensional array, and the inertial mass portion is supported in the cavity portion only by elastically deformable elastic bodies directly connecting weights at edges of the two-dimensional array to edges of the cavity portion.

17. The inertial sensor according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of weights are arranged as a one-dimensional array, and the inertial mass portion is supported in the cavity portion only by elastically deformable elastic bodies directly connecting weights at each end of the one-dimensional array to edges of the cavity portion.

18. The inertial sensor according to claim 13, wherein at least two of the plurality of weights, which are directly connected to each other, are supported only by respective connections to adjacent weights by elastically deformable elastic bodies.