MEMS rotational sensor with improved anchoring

• US 8,322,212 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2010
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hanking Electronics Hongkong Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. (Analog Devices, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rocchi, Alessandro
• Primary Examiner(s): Kwok, Helen C.
• Application Number:
  US12/793,129
• Publication Number:
  US 20100307244A1
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: 735/041.2, 735/041.3, 735/040.4, 735/041.4, 735/041.5, 735/142.9, 735/143.2, 735/143.6, 735/143.8
• US Class Current: 73/504.12
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5712 the devices involving a micromechanical structure
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0802 Details

Abstract

A MEMS sensor is provided with a substrate and a sensor element. The sensor element moves in response to an influence registered by the sensor primarily in an oscillating turn around a sensor axis that is parallel to the substrate. The sensor has an anchor arranged on the substrate in order to hold the sensor element onto the substrate. A connecting element arranges the sensor element on the anchor.

Claims

1. MEMS sensor, comprising:

a substrate;

a sensor element configured to move relative to the substrate as a reaction to an influence to be registered on the sensor, in which case the movement of the sensor element is primarily an oscillating turn around a sensor axis that runs largely parallel to the substrate;

at least one anchor arranged on the substrate to hold the sensor element onto the substrate; and

a connecting element is connecting the sensor element to the anchor and including a meshwork made of beams defining openings between adjacent beams.

2. MEMS sensor as in claim 1, wherein the meshwork made of beams defines a grid.

3. MEMS sensor as in claim 1, wherein the beams are primarily arranged at right angles to each other.

4. MEMS sensor as in claim 1, wherein the beams of the meshwork run at least along one of the sensor axis and an axis orthogonal to the sensor axis in the same plane as the sensor axis and are connected with the anchor and the sensor element.

5. MEMS sensor as in claim 1, wherein the beams of the meshwork run parallel to and converge towards one another at one end of the beams and diverge away from one another at the opposite end of the beams.

6. MEMS sensor as in claim 1, wherein the beams of the meshwork run at right angles to the sensor axis and extend primarily parallel to each other.

7. MEMS sensor as in claim 1, wherein the openings of the meshwork near the sensor element are larger than the openings of the meshwork near the anchor.

8. MEMS sensor as in claim 1, wherein a width of the connecting element extends at a right angle to the sensor axis mostly along an entire side of the anchor.

9. MEMS sensor as in claim 1, wherein two anchors hold the sensor element to the substrate and at least a first connecting element connects a first one of the anchors to the sensor element and at least a second connecting element connects a second one of the anchors to the sensor element.

10. MEMS sensor as in claim 1, wherein two connecting elements connect the sensor element with the anchor, a first one of the connecting elements extends outwards from a first opposite side of the anchor and a second one of the connecting elements extends outwards from a second opposite side of the anchor.

11. MEMS sensor as in claim 1, wherein the connecting element restricts the movement of the sensor element mostly to one single degree of freedom.

12. MEMS sensor, comprising:

a substrate;

a sensor element configured to move relative to the substrate as a reaction to an influence to be registered on the sensor, in which case the movement of the sensor element is primarily an oscillating turn around a sensor axis that runs largely parallel to the substrate;

at least two anchors hold the sensor element to the substrate and at least a first connecting element connects a first one of the anchors to the sensor element and at least a second connecting element connects a second one of the anchors to the sensor element, the first one of the connecting elements extends outwards from a first opposite side of the first one of the anchors and a third connecting element extends outwards from a second opposite side of the first one of the anchors; and

wherein at least one of the connecting elements includes a meshwork made of beams defining openings between adjacent beams and the openings of the meshwork near the connected sensor element are larger than the openings of the meshwork near the connected anchors.