Capacitance type sensor

• US 8,829,629 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2013
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Nakatani, Goro, Fujita, Toma
• Primary Examiner(s): Lebentritt, Michael
• Application Number:
  US13/952,214
• Publication Number:
  US 20130313660A1
• Time in Patent Office: 410 Days
• Field of Search: 257415-419, 257/E21, 257/219, 257/499, 257/29.329
• US Class Current: 257/415
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0242 Gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2203/0136 Comb structures
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2203/04 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 7/02 containing distinct electrical or optical devices of particular relevance for their function, e.g. microelectro-mechanical systems [MEMS] B81B7/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/00182 Arrangements of deformable or non-deformable structures, e.g. membrane and cavity for use in a transducer
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/00801 Avoid alteration of functional structures by etching, e.g. using a passivation layer or an etch stop layer B81C1/00595, B81C1/00468 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2201/053 Depositing a protective layers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5733 Structural details or topology
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5769 Manufacturing; Mounting; Housings
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/125 by capacitive pick-up
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48137 the bodies being arranged next to each other, e.g. on a common substrate

Abstract

A capacitance type gyro sensor includes a semiconductor substrate, a first electrode integrally including a first base portion and first comb tooth portions and a second electrode integrally including a second base portion and second comb tooth portions, formed by processing the surface portion of the semiconductor substrate. The first electrode has first drive portions that extend from opposed portions opposed to the respective second comb tooth portions on the first base portion toward the respective second comb tooth portions. The second electrode has second drive portions formed on the tip end portions of the respective second comb tooth portions opposed to the respective first drive portions. The first drive portions and the second drive portions engage with each other at an interval like comb teeth.

Claims

1. A capacitance type sensor comprising:

a semiconductor substrate having a cavity inside by forming an upper wall and a bottom wall, and having a surface portion forming the upper wall of the cavity and a back surface portion forming the bottom wall; and

a first electrode and a second electrode that are formed by processing the surface portion of the semiconductor substrate and have comb-tooth-like shapes to engage with each other at an interval, where

a change in capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode is detected.

2. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the first electrode includes dielectric layers that have a predetermined thickness from the surface or the back surface to a halfway point of the first electrode along the thickness direction orthogonal to the opposing direction of the second electrode and have a predetermined width along the opposing direction, and conductive layers consisting of remaining portions except for the dielectric layers.

3. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the dielectric layers are one-sided to one end side in the width direction of the first electrode, and

the conductive layer includes a first portion formed adjacently on the other end side in the width direction to the dielectric layer, and a second portion formed below the dielectric layer and having a width larger than that of the first portion.

4. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the dielectric layers are formed from one end to the other end in the width direction of the first electrode and have the same width as that of the first electrode, and

the first electrode has a lamination structure including the dielectric layers and the conductive layers formed below the dielectric layers.

5. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode is a movable electrode and the second electrode is a fixed electrode.

6. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode is a fixed electrode and the second electrode is a movable electrode.

7. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor substrate is a conductive silicon substrate.

8. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 2, wherein the conductive layers are portions formed by using a portion of the semiconductor substrate.

9. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 2, wherein the dielectric layers are made of SiO₂.

10. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 1, further comprising a first insulating layer that is selectively embedded in the first electrode and insulate and separate a certain portion of the first electrode from other portion of the first electrode.

11. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 10, wherein the first insulating layer is made of SiO₂.

12. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 1, further comprising a second insulating layer that is selectively embedded in the second electrode and insulate and separate a certain portion of the second electrode from other portion of the second electrode.

13. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 12, wherein the second insulating layer is made of SiO₂.

14. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 1, comprising an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration applied to the capacitance type sensor by detecting a change in capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode.

15. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 1, comprising an angular velocity sensor that drives the first electrode in directions approaching and away from the cavity and detects an angular velocity applied to the capacitance type sensor at the time of this driving by detecting a change in capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode.