Transducer structure and method for MEMS devices

• US 8,477,473 B1
• Filed: 08/19/2010
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: mCube, Inc.
• Original Assignee: mCube, Inc.
• Inventors: Koury, Daniel N. Jr., Sridharamurthy, Sudheer
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Tuan T
• Assistant Examiner(s): DANG, HUNG Q
• Application Number:
  US12/859,672
• Time in Patent Office: 1,048 Days
• Field of Search: 361/280, 361/763, 361/769, 361/787, 361/807, 257/E21.19, 257/415, 257/E21.5
• US Class Current: 361/287
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2203/0163 Spring holders
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2203/0307 Anchors
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 3/0072 For controlling internal stress or strain in moving or flexible elements, e.g. stress compensating layers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5783 Mountings or housings not specific to any of the devices covered by groups G01C19/5607 - G01C19/5719
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/125 by capacitive pick-up
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/0857 using a particular shape of the suspension spring
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 3/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture or maintenance of measuring instruments , e.g. of probe tips
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49007 Indicating transducer

Abstract

An improved MEMS transducer apparatus and method is provided. The apparatus has a movable base structure including an outer surface region and at least one portion removed to form at least one inner surface region. At least one intermediate anchor structure is disposed within the inner surface region. The apparatus includes an intermediate spring structure operably coupled to the central anchor structure, and at least one portion of the inner surface region. A capacitor element is disposed within the inner surface region.

Claims

1. An apparatus disposed upon a substrate member having a surface region, the apparatus comprising:

a movable base having at least one intermediate cavity disposed in an intermediate portion of the movable base structure, the at least one intermediate cavity having a cavity surface region;

at least one intermediate anchor structure spatially disposed within the at least one intermediate cavity, the intermediate anchor structure(s) being coupled to at least one portion of the surface region;

at least one intermediate spring structure coupled to at least one portion of the cavity surface region, the intermediate spring structure(s) being coupled to the intermediate anchor structure(s), the spring structure(s) being spatially oriented to be substantially 45 degrees or substantially (pi/4) radians to the edges of a die; and

at least one capacitor element, the capacitor element(s) being spatially disposed within a vicinity of the intermediate cavity.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of the capacitor element(s) comprise a fixed capacitor element and a movable capacitor element.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the capacitor element(s) comprise a silicon material, a polymer, a dielectric, or metal material.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of the capacitor element(s) comprise a differential capacitor element pair.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the movable base structure is a polygonal movable base structure.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the movable base structure is a rectangular movable base structure.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the intermediate spring structure(s) are spatially oriented to be substantially 45 degrees or substantially (pi/4) radians to the edges of the rectangular movable base structure.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the movable base structure comprises a silicon material, a polymer, a dielectric, or a metal material.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the intermediate anchor structure(s) comprises a silicon material, a polymer, a dielectric, or a metal material.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the intermediate spring structure(s) comprises a silicon material, a polymer, a dielectric, or metal material.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of the intermediate spring structure(s) comprises at least one segment having a segment length.

12. An apparatus disposed upon a substrate member having a surface region, the apparatus comprising:

a rectangular movable base structure having four intermediate cavities disposed symmetrically in intermediate portions of the rectangular movable base structure, the four intermediate cavities being spatially oriented to be substantially 45 degrees or substantially (pi/4) radians to the edges of a die, each of the intermediate cavities having a cavity surface region;

four intermediate anchor structures spatially disposed within the four intermediate cavities, each of the four intermediate anchor structures being disposed within separate intermediate cavities, each of the intermediate anchor structures being coupled to at least one portion of the cavity surface region of the intermediate cavity in which each is disposed;

four intermediate spring structures spatially disposed within the four intermediate cavities, each of the intermediate spring structures being disposed within separate intermediate cavities, each of the intermediate spring structures being coupled to at least one portion of the cavity surface region of the intermediate cavity in which each is disposed, each of the intermediate spring structures being coupled to the intermediate anchor structure in the same intermediate cavity, the intermediate spring structures being spatially oriented to be substantially 45 degrees or substantially (pi/4) radians to the edges of a die; and

at least one capacitor element spatially disposed within each of the intermediate cavities.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein each of the capacitor elements comprises a fixed capacitor element and a movable capacitor element.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein each of the capacitor elements comprises a differential capacitor element pair.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the intermediate spring structures are spatially oriented to be substantially 45 degrees or (pi/4) radians to the edges of the rectangular movable base structure.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the rectangular movable base structure comprises a silicon material, a polymer, a dielectric, or a metal material.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the intermediate anchor structures comprise a silicon material, a polymer, a dielectric, or a metal material.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the intermediate spring structures comprise a silicon material, a polymer, a dielectric, or a metal material.

20. The apparatus of claim the apparatus of claim 12 wherein each of the intermediate spring structures comprises at least one segment having a segment length.

19. The apparatus of claim wherein the intermediate spring structures comprise torsion spring(s) or bending spring(s).