Capacitive accelerometer

• US 8,113,054 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2007
• Issued: 02/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Hwang, Gunn, Jung, Sung-Hae, Lee, Myung-Lae, Choi, Chang-Auck, Je, Chang-Han
• Primary Examiner(s): Noori, Max
• Application Number:
  US12/517,068
• Publication Number:
  US 20100050771A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,532 Days
• Field of Search: 7351432-51435, 735/140.1
• US Class Current: 73/514.32
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0802 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/125 by capacitive pick-up

Abstract

A conventional capacitive accelerometer has a limitation in reducing a distance between a sensing electrode and a reference electrode, and requires a complex process and a separate method of correcting a clearance difference caused by a process error. However, the capacitive accelerometer of the present invention has high sensitivity, can be simply manufactured by maintaining a very narrow distance between a reference electrode and a sensing electrode, and can make it unnecessary to individually correct each manufactured accelerometer by removing or drastically reducing a functional difference due to a process error.

Claims

1. A capacitive accelerometer comprising:

a substrate;

a sensing mass body disposed above and spaced apart from the substrate, and comprising a mass main body, a support spring, and a sensing electrode;

a support part configured to couple the sensing mass body to the substrate;

a reference electrode disposed adjacent to the sensing electrode and movable with respect to the sensing electrode;

a driving unit configured to move the reference electrode to adjust a distance between the reference electrode and the sensing electrode; and

a stopper configured to limit the motion of the reference electrode.

2. The capacitive accelerometer of claim 1, wherein the stopper is configured to limit an adjustment distance B by which the reference electrode is moved by the driving unit such that it is less than a before-adjustment distance A between the sensing electrode and the reference electrode when the driving unit is not driven.

3. The capacitive accelerometer of claim 1, wherein the distance between the reference electrode and the sensing electrode is adjusted by 0.2 to 0.7 mm.

4. The capacitive accelerometer of claim 1, wherein each of the sensing electrode and the reference electrode has a comb shape, and teeth of the sensing electrode and teeth of the reference electrode alternate with each other.

5. The capacitive accelerometer of claim 1, wherein a before-adjustment distance A between the reference electrode and the sensing electrode is substantially equal to a sum of (1) an adjustment distance B by which the reference electrode moves by the driving unit and (2) an after-adjustment distance C which is defined by the stopper.

6. The capacitive accelerometer of claim 1, wherein the driving unit moves the reference electrode by an electrostatic force.

7. The capacitive accelerometer of claim 6, the capacitive accelerometer further comprising:

a first finger coupled to the driving unit finger, and

a second finger coupled to the reference electrode,

wherein the second finger is configured to be spaced apart from and engaging with the first finger,

wherein the stopper limits an adjustment distance B to be less than a before-adjustment distance D between the first finger and the second finger when the driving unit is not driven, and

wherein the adjustment distance B is a distance that the reference electrode moves by the driving unit.

8. The capacitive accelerometer of claim 1, wherein the stopper is connected to the reference electrode by a spring.

9. A capacitive accelerometer comprising:

a substrate;

a reference electrode fixed to the substrate;

a sensing mass body disposed above and spaced apart from the substrate, comprising a sensing electrode disposed adjacent to the reference electrode, a support spring, and a mass main body, and movable with respect to the reference electrode;

a driving unit configured to move the sensing mass body to adjust a distance between the reference electrode and the sensing electrode; and

a stopper configured to limit the motion of the sensing mass body caused by the driving unit.

10. The capacitive accelerometer of claim 9, wherein the stopper is configured to limit an adjustment distance B that the sensing electrode moves by the driving unit to be less than a before-adjustment distance A between the sensing electrode and the reference electrode when the driving unit is not driven.

11. The capacitive accelerometer of claim 9, wherein an adjustment distance B that the sensing electrode is moved by the driving unit is adjusted by 0.2 to 0.7 mm.

12. The capacitive accelerometer of claim 9, wherein each of the sensing electrode and the reference electrode has a comb shape, and teeth of the sensing electrode and teeth of the reference electrode alternate with each other.

13. The capacitive accelerometer of claim 9, wherein a before-adjustment distance A between the reference electrode and the sensing electrode when the driving unit is not driven is substantially equal to a sum of (1) an adjustment distance B by which the sensing electrode moves when the driving unit is driven and (2) an after-adjustment distance C defined by the stopper.

14. The capacitive accelerometer of claim 9, wherein the driving unit moves the sensing mass body using an electrostatic force.

15. The capacitive accelerometer of claim 14, the capacitive accelerometer further comprising:

a first finger coupled to the driving unit, and

a second finger extending from the support spring of the sensing body,

wherein the second finger is spaced apart from and engaged with the first finger, and

wherein the stopper is configured to limit an adjustment distance B that the sensing electrode is moved by the driving unit to be less than a before-adjustment distance D between the first finger and the second finger when the driving unit is not driven.

16. A capacitive accelerometer comprising:

a substrate;

a reference electrode disposed above and spaced apart from the substrate;

a sensing electrode disposed above and spaced apart from the substrate and configured to interdigitate with the reference electrode;

a driving unit configured to adjust a relative distance between the reference electrode and the sensing electrode; and

a stopper configured to limit an adjustment distance by the driving unit.