Disc resonator gyroscope fabrication process requiring no bonding alignment

• US 7,818,871 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2007
• Issued: 10/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Shcheglov, Kirill V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams; Hezron
• Assistant Examiner(s): MILLER, ROSE MARY
• Application Number:
  US11/828,263
• Publication Number:
  US 20100024560A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,189 Days
• Field of Search: 735/040.4, 735/142.9, 735/041.2, 295/921
• US Class Current: 29/592.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5684 the devices involving a micromechanical structure
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 25/00 Manufacturing, calibrating, cleaning, or repairing instruments or devices referred to in the other groups of this subclass testing, calibrating or compensating compasses G01C17/38
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

A method of fabricating a resonant vibratory sensor, such as a disc resonator gyro. A silicon baseplate wafer for a disc resonator gyro is provided with one or more locating marks. The disc resonator gyro is fabricated by bonding a blank resonator wafer, such as an SOI wafer, to the fabricated baseplate, and fabricating the resonator structure according to a pattern based at least in part upon the location of the at least one locating mark of the fabricated baseplate. MEMS-based processing is used for the fabrication processing. In some embodiments, the locating mark is visualized using optical and/or infrared viewing methods. A disc resonator gyroscope manufactured according to these methods is described.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating a resonant vibratory sensor, comprising the steps of:

providing a fabricated baseplate wafer having present thereon at least one locating mark;

observing a location of said at least one locating mark;

bonding to said fabricated baseplate wafer a blank resonator wafer;

affixing to said otherwise blank resonator wafer at least one locating mark at a location defined relative to said at least one locating mark that was observed on said fabricated baseplate; and

fabricating the resonator structure in said blank resonator wafer in relation to said at least one locating mark affixed to said blank resonator wafer;

thereby fabricating a resonant vibratory sensor.

2. The method of fabricating the resonant vibratory sensor of claim 1, wherein said resonant vibratory sensor is a disc resonator gyroscope.

3. The method of fabricating the resonant vibratory sensor of claim 2, wherein said disc resonator gyroscope is fabricated in silicon.

4. A resonant vibratory sensor, comprising:

a fabricated baseplate wafer having present thereon at least one locating mark in a specified location; and

a resonator wafer bonded to said fabricated baseplate, said resonator wafer comprising at least one locating mark affixed to said otherwise blank resonator wafer at a location defined relative to said at least one locating mark of said fabricated baseplate, and a structure fabricated according to a pattern based at least in part upon said location of said at least one locating mark affixed to said otherwise blank resonator wafer.

5. The resonant vibratory sensor of claim 4, wherein said resonant vibratory sensor is a disc resonator gyroscope.

6. The resonant vibratory sensor of claim 5, wherein said disc resonator gyroscope is fabricated in silicon.

7. The resonant vibratory sensor of claim 4, wherein said at least one locating mark is configured to be observed after said resonator wafer is bonded to said fabricated baseplate.