Gyroscope packaging assembly

• US 8,418,554 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2009
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Joyce, Richard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Noori, Max
• Application Number:
  US12/475,963
• Publication Number:
  US 20100300202A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,415 Days
• Field of Search: 735/041.5, 7350407-50408
• US Class Current: 73/504.15
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5663 Manufacturing; Trimming; Mounting; Housings
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5684 the devices involving a micromechanical structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49124 On flat or curved insulated base, e.g., printed circuit, etc.

Abstract

Packaging techniques for planar resonator gyroscopes, such as disc resonator gyroscopes (DRGs) are disclosed. In one embodiment, a packaged resonator gyroscope comprises a carrier, a substrate layer mounted to the carrier, a baseplate coupled to the substrate to define a cavity between the substrate and the baseplate, and a resonator mounted to the baseplate and suspended in the cavity. Other embodiments may be described.

Claims

1. A packaged resonator gyroscope, comprising:

a carrier;

a substrate mounted on top of the carrier;

a baseplate mounted on top of the substrate to define a cavity between the substrate and the baseplate; and

a single disc resonator hanging from the baseplate by a rigid central support and suspended in the cavity between the substrate and the baseplate, the resonator comprising a plurality of circumferential segments disposed about the rigid central support to define a plurality of circumferential slots and a plurality of electrodes disposed in the plurality of circumferential slots, whereby the resonator can detect movement in multiple orientations.

2. The packaged resonator gyroscope of claim 1, wherein the substrate is mounted to the carrier by a hard mount.

3. The packaged resonator gyroscope of claim 1, wherein the substrate is mounted to the carrier by at least one solder ball.

4. The packaged resonator gyroscope of claim 3, wherein the at least one solder ball comprises a thermal pillar bump.

5. The packaged resonator gyroscope of claim 1, wherein the substrate is mounted to the carrier by at least one pillar.

6. The packaged resonator gyroscope of claim 1, wherein:

the baseplate comprises at least a first electrical interconnect;

the substrate comprises at least a second electrical interconnect; and

the first electrical interconnect is coupled to the second electrical interconnect.

7. The packaged resonator gyroscope of claim 6, wherein the baseplate is electrically coupled to the first electrical interconnect via an electrically conductive solder ball.

8. The packaged resonator gyroscope of claim 1, wherein:

at least a portion of the substrate is removed to define a plurality of cantilevered sections; and

the baseplate is coupled to the substrate on at least one of the plurality of cantilevered sections.

9. The packaged resonator gyroscope of claim 1, further comprising a cap to enclose the resonator package.

10. The packaged resonator gyroscope of claim 9, further comprising a getter layer coupled to the cap.

11. The packaged resonator gyroscope of claim 1, further comprising a thermoelectric cooling module.

12. A method of packaging a planar resonator gyroscope, comprising:

mounting a planar resonator die comprising a single disc planar resonator hanging from a baseplate by a rigid central support onto a substrate to define a cavity between the substrate and the baseplate, such that the resonator is suspended in the cavity between the substrate and the baseplate, the resonator comprising a plurality of circumferential segments disposed about the rigid central support to define a plurality of circumferential slots and a plurality of electrodes disposed in the plurality of circumferential slots, whereby the resonator can detect movement in multiple orientations;

mounting the substrate to a carrier; and

securing a cap to the carrier.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein mounting a planar resonator die comprising a planar resonator and a baseplate onto a substrate comprises establishing electrical connections between the baseplate and the substrate.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein mounting the substrate to a carrier comprises establishing a hard mount.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein mounting the substrate to a carrier comprises securing the substrate to the carrier using at least one solder ball.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein mounting the substrate to a carrier comprises securing the substrate to the carrier using at least one pillar.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising establishing an electrical connection between the substrate and at least one lead wire.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein:

at least a portion of the substrate is removed to define a plurality of cantilevered sections; and

the baseplate is coupled to the substrate on at least one of the plurality of cantilevered sections.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein, further comprising securing a getter layer to the cap.