Method for adjusting an acceleration sensor

• US 8,381,570 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2010
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Ohms, Torsten, Franke, Axel
• Primary Examiner(s): ROGERS, DAVID A
• Application Number:
  US12/927,345
• Publication Number:
  US 20110120208A1
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 73/13.7, 73/13.8, 735/140.1, 735/140.2
• US Class Current: 73/1.38
• 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 2015/082 for two degrees of freedom of movement of a single mass
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 21/00 Testing or calibrating of apparatus or devices covered by the preceding groups

Abstract

A method for adjusting an acceleration sensor which includes a substrate and a seismic mass, the acceleration sensor having first and further first electrodes attached to the substrate on a first side, counter-electrodes of the seismic mass being situated between the first and further first electrodes, the acceleration sensor having further second electrodes on a second side and further fourth electrodes on a fourth side opposite the second side, an essentially equal first excitation voltage being applied to the first and further first electrodes in a first step for exciting a first deflection of the seismic mass along a first direction, the first deflection being compensated in a second step by applying a first compensation voltage to the further second and further fourth electrodes.

Claims

1. A method for adjusting an acceleration sensor which has a substrate and a seismic mass, the acceleration sensor having first and further first electrodes attached to the substrate on a first side, counter-electrodes of the seismic mass being situated between the first and further first electrodes, the acceleration sensor including further second electrodes on a second side and further fourth electrodes on a fourth side opposite the second side, said method for adjusting comprising:

applying an essentially equal first excitation voltage to the first and further first electrodes in a first step for exciting a first deflection of the seismic mass along a first direction, and compensating the first deflection in a second step by applying a first compensation voltage to the further second and the further fourth electrodes.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the acceleration sensor has third and further third electrodes attached to the substrate on a third side opposite the first side, counter-electrodes of the seismic mass being situated between the third and further third electrodes, and the acceleration sensor has second electrodes on the second side and fourth electrodes on the fourth side, said method further comprising:

applying an essentially equal second excitation voltage to the third and further third electrodes in a third step for exciting a second deflection of the seismic mass along a third direction, and compensating the second deflection in a fourth step by applying a second compensation voltage to the second and fourth electrodes.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein counter-electrodes of the seismic mass are situated between the second and further second electrodes, and wherein an essentially equal third excitation voltage is applied to the second and further second electrodes for exciting a third deflection of the seismic mass along a second direction, the third deflection being compensated by applying a third compensation voltage to the further first and further third electrodes.

4. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein counter-electrodes of the seismic mass are situated between the fourth and further fourth electrodes, an essentially equal fourth excitation voltage being applied to the fourth and further fourth electrodes for exciting a fourth deflection of the seismic mass along a fourth direction, the fourth deflection being compensated by applying a fourth compensation voltage to the first and third electrodes.

5. A method for adjusting an acceleration sensor, as recited in claim 2, wherein the acceleration sensor has third and further third electrodes attached to the substrate on a third side opposite the first side, the acceleration sensor further having second electrodes on the second side and fourth electrodes on the fourth side, counter-electrodes of the seismic mass being situated between the second and further second electrodes, between the third and further third electrodes and between the fourth and further fourth electrodes, the acceleration sensor having a junction electrode which is fixed relative to the substrate and which extends essentially parallel to a main extension plane of the substrate and at least partially overlaps the seismic mass perpendicularly to the main extension plane, said method further comprising applying an essentially equal fifth excitation voltage to the first, further first, third and further third electrodes for exciting a fifth deflection of the seismic mass along the fifth direction, and compensating the fifth deflection by applying a fifth compensation voltage to the junction electrode.

6. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the first excitation voltage is compared with the first compensation voltage and the second excitation voltage is compared with the second compensation voltage.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein counter-electrodes of the seismic mass are situated between the second and further second electrodes, and wherein an essentially equal third excitation voltage is applied to the second and further second electrodes for exciting a third deflection of the seismic mass along a second direction, the third deflection being compensated by applying a third compensation voltage to the further first and further third electrodes.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein counter-electrodes of the seismic mass are situated between the fourth and further fourth electrodes, an essentially equal fourth excitation voltage being applied to the fourth and further fourth electrodes for exciting a fourth deflection of the seismic mass along a fourth direction, the fourth deflection being compensated by applying a fourth compensation voltage to the first and third electrodes.

9. A method for adjusting an acceleration sensor, as recited in claim 7, wherein the acceleration sensor has third and further third electrodes attached to the substrate on a third side opposite the first side, the acceleration sensor further having second electrodes on the second side and fourth electrodes on the fourth side, counter-electrodes of the seismic mass being situated between the second and further second electrodes, between the third and further third electrodes and between the fourth and further fourth electrodes, the acceleration sensor having a junction electrode which is fixed relative to the substrate and which extends essentially parallel to a main extension plane of the substrate and at least partially overlaps the seismic mass perpendicularly to the main extension plane, said method further comprising applying an essentially equal fifth excitation voltage to the first, further first, third and further third electrodes for exciting a fifth deflection of the seismic mass along the fifth direction, and compensating the fifth deflection by applying a fifth compensation voltage to the junction electrode.

10. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the first excitation voltage is compared with the first compensation voltage and the third excitation voltage is compared with the third compensation voltage.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein counter-electrodes of the seismic mass are situated between the fourth and further fourth electrodes, an essentially equal fourth excitation voltage being applied to the fourth and further fourth electrodes for exciting a fourth deflection of the seismic mass along a fourth direction, the fourth deflection being compensated by applying a fourth compensation voltage to the first and third electrodes.

12. A method for adjusting an acceleration sensor, as recited in claim 11, wherein the acceleration sensor has third and further third electrodes attached to the substrate on a third side opposite the first side, the acceleration sensor further having second electrodes on the second side and fourth electrodes on the fourth side, counter-electrodes of the seismic mass being situated between the second and further second electrodes, between the third and further third electrodes and between the fourth and further fourth electrodes, the acceleration sensor having a junction electrode which is fixed relative to the substrate and which extends essentially parallel to a main extension plane of the substrate and at least partially overlaps the seismic mass perpendicularly to the main extension plane, said method further comprising applying an essentially equal fifth excitation voltage to the first, further first, third and further third electrodes for exciting a fifth deflection of the seismic mass along the fifth direction, and compensating the fifth deflection by applying a fifth compensation voltage to the junction electrode.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the first excitation voltage is compared with the first compensation voltage and the fourth excitation voltage is compared with the fourth compensation voltage.

14. A method for adjusting an acceleration sensor, as recited in claim 1, wherein the acceleration sensor has third and further third electrodes attached to the substrate on a third side opposite the first side, the acceleration sensor further having second electrodes on the second side and fourth electrodes on the fourth side, counter-electrodes of the seismic mass being situated between the second and further second electrodes, between the third and further third electrodes and between the fourth and further fourth electrodes, the acceleration sensor having a junction electrode which is fixed relative to the substrate and which extends essentially parallel to a main extension plane of the substrate and at least partially overlaps the seismic mass perpendicularly to the main extension plane, said method further comprising applying an essentially equal fifth excitation voltage to the first, further first, third and further third electrodes for exciting a fifth deflection of the seismic mass along the fifth direction, and compensating the fifth deflection by applying a fifth compensation voltage to the junction electrode.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the fifth excitation voltage is also applied to the second, further second, fourth and further fourth electrodes.

16. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first excitation voltage is compared with the first compensation voltage.

17. An acceleration sensor which is configured for carrying out the method as recited in claim 1.