Silicon MEMS resonators

• US 7,755,367 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2008
• Issued: 07/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Schoen, Florian, Loehndorf, Markus
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Vincent Q
• Application Number:
  US12/131,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20090295406A1
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: 324/633, 324/636, 324/76.49, 735/040.2
• US Class Current: 324/633
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0488 Movement sensor, e.g. for sensing angular speed, acceleration or centripetal force
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/064 comprising tyre mounted deformation sensors, e.g. to determine road contact area
• 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 2015/0862 being provided with particular means being integrated into a MEMS accelerometer structure for providing particular additional functionalities to those of a spring mass system
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 2009/02527 Combined
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/2457 Clamped-free beam resonators

Abstract

The invention relates to MEMS resonators. In one embodiment, an integrated resonator and sensor device includes a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) resonator, and an anchor portion coupled to the MEMS resonator and configured to allow resonance of the MEMS resonator in a first plane of motion and movement of the MEMS resonator in a second plane of motion. In other embodiments, additional apparatuses, devices, systems and methods are disclosed.

Claims

1. A silicon micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) device comprising:

a resonating element configured to simultaneously resonate in a first plane of motion to provide a frequency reference and to move in a second plane of motion;

an electrode having an effective area that varies as the resonating element moves in the second plane of motion; and

a cavity defining a distance between the electrode and a first side of the resonating element, wherein the distance varies as the resonating element resonates in the first plane.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising an anchor coupled to the resonating element and configured to enable resonance of the resonating element in the first plane simultaneous with movement of the resonating element in the second plane.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the anchor comprises a plurality of material layers.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the anchor comprises a plurality of materials.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the resonating element is further configured to sense acceleration from movement in the second plane.

6. An integrated resonator and sensor device comprising:

a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) resonator;

an anchor portion coupled to the MEMS resonator and configured to allow resonance of the MEMS resonator in a first plane of motion and movement of the MEMS resonator in a second plane of motion; and

a first electrode spaced apart from the MEMS resonator in the first plane by a distance that varies with resonance of the MEMS resonator in the first plane of motion.

7. The device of claim 6, further comprising a second electrode spaced apart from the MEMS resonator in the second plane.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the second electrode is spaced apart from the MEMS resonator by a distance that varies with movement of the MEMS resonator in the second plane of motion.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein an insulating layer is disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode.

10. The device of claim 7, further comprising circuitry coupled to the second electrode and configured to detect a capacitance between the MEMS resonator and the second electrode.

11. The device of claim 6, further comprising circuitry coupled to the first electrode and configured to provide a frequency signal output related to resonance of the MEMS resonator in a first plane of motion.

12. The device of claim 6, wherein the resonator comprises silicon.

13. The device of claim 6, wherein the anchor comprises at least one of a plurality of materials and a plurality of layers.

14. A tire pressure monitoring system comprising:

an integrated resonator and sensor device comprising;

a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) resonator, and

an anchor portion coupled to the MEMS resonator and configured to allow resonance of the MEMS resonator in a first plane of motion and movement of the MEMS resonator in a second plane of motion; and

circuitry coupled to the integrated resonator and sensor device and configured to determine a frequency reference from the resonance of the MEMS resonator in the first plane of motion and an acceleration of the MEMS resonator from the movement of the MEMS resonator in the second plane of motion.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the MEMS resonator comprises silicon.