Inertia force sensor

• US 8,646,332 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ohkoshi, Hideo, Mitani, Tomohiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Redmann, Gregory J
• Application Number:
  US12/673,870
• Publication Number:
  US 20110036167A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,992 Days
• Field of Search: 735/040.4, 735/041.2
• US Class Current: 73/504.04
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/025 Inertial sensors not provided for in B81B2201/0235 - B81B2201/0242
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 7/0058 for protecting against damages due to external chemical or mechanical influences, e.g. shocks or vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/0023 Packaging together an electronic processing unit die and a micromechanical structure die MEMS packages B81B7/0032; MEMS packaging processes B81C1/00261
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5607 using vibrating tuning forks double-ended tuning forks using planar vibrating masses suspended at opposite ends G01C19/5719
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/003 used for damping
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/023 for acceleration measuring devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details

Abstract

An inertial sensor includes oscillating-type angular velocity sensing element, IC for processing signals supplied from angular velocity sensing element, capacitor for processing signals, and package for accommodating angular velocity sensing element, IC, capacitor. Element and IC are housed in package via a vibration isolator, which is formed of TAB tape, plate on which IC is placed, where angular velocity sensing element is layered on IC, and outer frame placed outside and separately from plate and yet coupled to plate via wiring pattern.

Claims

1. An inertial sensor comprising:

an angular velocity sensing element;

an IC for processing signals supplied from the angular velocity sensing element;

a vibration isolator; and

a package for accommodating the angular velocity sensing element and the IC via the vibration isolator,

wherein the vibration isolator includes;

a plate, and

an outer frame separately surrounding the plate, where the outer frame is coupled to the plate via a wiring pattern,

wherein the plate, the IC, the angular velocity sensing element are stacked in this order.

2. The inertial sensor of claim 1, wherein a central axis of the angular velocity sensing element, a central axis of the IC, and a central axis of the plate are the substantially same axis.

3. The inertial sensor of claim 1, wherein the angular velocity sensing element includes an element electrode-pad working for input/output of signals, and the IC includes an IC electrode-pad working for input/output of signals, and the package includes a connection electrode-pad working for coupling itself to one of the element electrode-pad and the IC electrode-pad,

wherein the IC electrode-pad is disposed outside the angular velocity sensing element,

wherein one of the element electrode-pad and the IC electrode-pad is electrically coupled to the wiring pattern,

wherein one of the element electrode-pad, IC electrode-pad and the wiring pattern is electrically coupled to the connection electrode-pad.

4. The inertial sensor of claim 3, wherein the element electrode-pad is connected to the IC electrode-pad and not connected to the wiring pattern and the connection electrode-pad.

5. The inertial sensor of claim 1, wherein a part of the wiring pattern which is outside a boundary of the plate is symmetric in shape with respect to a center of the plate.

6. The inertial sensor of claim 1, wherein at least a part of the plate is formed of TAB tape, and

the TAB tape is made of insulating film, and the wiring pattern is bonded to the insulating film.

7. The inertial sensor of claim 1, wherein the IC is placed on a first surface of the plate and a part of the wiring pattern is formed on a second surface of the plate which is opposite to the first surface.

8. The inertial sensor of claim 1, wherein a part of the wiring pattern electrically coupled to one of the angular velocity sensing element and the IC is disposed between the plate and the outer frame.

9. The inertial sensor of claim 1, further comprising:

an acceleration sensing section disposed in the package.

10. The inertial sensor of claim 9, wherein the IC is placed on a first surface of the plate and the acceleration sensing element is placed on a second surface of the plate which is opposite to the first surface.

11. The inertial sensor of claim 1, further comprising:

a capacitor disposed in the package.

12. The inertial sensor of claim 1, wherein the outer frame is coplanar to the plate.

13. The inertial sensor of claim 1, wherein the outer frame has an open rectangular shape.

14. The inertial sensor of claim 1, wherein the wiring pattern extends in a substantially planar direction of the vibration isolator.

15. The inertial sensor of claim 1, wherein the wiring pattern surrounds the plate in plan view.

16. The inertial sensor of claim 1, wherein a size of the angular velocity sensing element is smaller than a size of the IC in plan view.

17. A sensor comprising:

an inertial force sensing element;

an IC for processing signals supplied from the inertial force sensing element;

a member; and

a package for accommodating the inertial force sensing element, the member and the IC, wherein the member includes;

a plate, and

an outer frame separately surrounding the plate,

wherein the plate, the IC, the inertial force sensing element are stacked in this order.

18. The sensor of claim 17, wherein

the IC has first pads aligned at a first side of the IC and second pads aligned at a second side of the IC, the first side being opposite to the second side,

the outer frame has a third portion and a fourth portion,

wherein at least one of the first pads is electrically connected to the third portion via a first wire,

at least one of the second pads is electrically connected to the fourth portion via a second wire, and

an area of the inertial force sensing element is smaller than an area of the IC.

19. The sensor of claim 17, wherein

the IC has a third side perpendicular to the first side of the IC and a fourth side opposite to the third side, and

no pads are aligned in both of the third side and the fourth side of the IC.

20. The sensor of claim 17, wherein

the inertial force sensing element is an angular velocity sensing element and the outer frame is continuous frame.

21. The sensor of claim 17, wherein

the inertial force sensing element is an angular velocity sensing element.