Microelectromechanical structure with enhanced rejection of acceleration noise

• US 8,833,164 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Coronato, Luca, Cazzaniga, Gabriele
• Primary Examiner(s): Raevis, Robert R
• Application Number:
  US13/619,669
• Publication Number:
  US 20130019677A1
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 73/504.14
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5712 the devices involving a micromechanical structure
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5747 each sensing mass being connected to a driving mass, e.g. driving frames
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

An integrated MEMS structure includes a driving assembly anchored to a substrate and actuated with a driving movement. A pair of sensing masses suspended above the substrate and coupled to the driving assembly via elastic elements is fixed in the driving movement and performs a movement along a first direction of detection, in response to an external stress. A coupling assembly couples the pair of sensing masses mechanically to couple the vibration modes. The coupling assembly is formed by a rigid element, which connects the sensing masses and has a point of constraint in an intermediate position between the sensing masses, and elastic coupling elements for coupling the rigid element to the sensing masses to present a first stiffness to a movement in phase-opposition and a second stiffness, greater than the first, to a movement in phase, of the sensing masses along the direction of detection.

Claims

1. A structure, comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of driving electrodes anchored to the substrate;

a first anchorage formed on the substrate;

a second anchorage formed on the substrate;

a first driving mass coupled to the first anchorage and configured to be driven by at least some of the plurality of driving electrodes;

a second driving mass coupled to the second anchorage and configured to be driven by at least some of the plurality of driving electrodes;

a first sensing mass elastically coupled to the first driving mass, the first sensing mass having a first surface;

a second sensing mass elastically coupled to the second driving mass, the second sensing mass having a second surface facing the first surface; and

a rigid element coupled between the first and second sensing masses, the rigid element having a longitudinal extension that is transverse to the first and second surfaces.

2. The structure of claim 1, wherein the first sensing mass is elastically coupled to a first interior surface of the first driving mass and the second sensing mass is coupled to second interior surface of the second driving mass.

3. The structure of claim 2, wherein the first sensing mass includes an electrode extending from the first sensing mass towards the first interior surface of the first driving mass and the second sensing mass includes an electrode extending from the second sensing mass towards the second interior surface of the second driving mass.

4. The structure of claim 3, wherein a first set of fixed electrodes is positioned on the substrate between the first sensing mass and the first driving mass and a second set of fixed electrodes is positioned on the substrate between the second sensing mass and the second driving mass, the first set of fixed electrodes being configured to interact with the electrode extending from the first sensing mass and the second set of fixed electrodes being configured to interact with the electrode extending from the second sensing mass.

5. The structure of claim 1, wherein the first sensing mass includes elastic connection elements that couple a first spring to both a first end and a second end of the first sensing mass and the second sensing mass includes elastic connection elements that couple a second spring coupled to both a first end and a second end of the second sensing mass, the rigid element being coupled to the first spring and the second spring.

6. The structure of claim 5, wherein the longitudinal extension of the rigid element extends along an axis that passes through a central location of both the first and second sensing masses.

7. The structure of claim 6, wherein the first sensing mass includes an electrode extending along the axis away from the second sensing mass and the second sensing mass includes an electrode extending along the axis away from the first sensing mass.

8. The structure of claim 6, further comprising a third spring and a fourth spring positioned between the first and second sensing masses, the third spring coupled between a first anchor and the rigid element and the fourth spring coupled between a second anchor and the rigid element, the third and fourth springs extending transverse to the rigid element.

9. The structure of claim 8, wherein the rigid element is longer than a minimum distance between the first driving mass and the second driving mass.

10. The structure of claim 1, wherein the first driving mass and the second driving mass have a non-rectangular shape.

11. The structure of claim 10, wherein the shape of the first driving mass is a mirror image of the second driving mass.

12. The structure of claim 10, wherein the first driving mass and the second driving mass are both C-shaped.

13. The structure of claim 1, wherein the plurality of driving electrodes includes a first set and a second set of the plurality of driving electrodes, the first set being electrically coupled to the first driving mass and the second set being electrically coupled to the second driving mass.

14. A system, comprising:

a driving circuit;

a reading circuit;

a structure coupled to the driving circuit and to the reading circuit, the structure including;

a substrate;

a plurality of driving electrodes anchored to the substrate and coupled to the driving circuit;

a first driving mass suspended above the substrate and electrically coupled to at least some of the plurality of driving electrodes;

a second driving mass suspended above the substrate and electrically coupled to at least some of the plurality of driving electrodes;

a first sensing mass elastically coupled to the first driving mass, the first sensing mass having a first surface;

a second sensing mass elastically coupled to the second driving mass, the second sensing mass having a second surface facing the first surface; and

a rigid element coupled between the first and second sensing masses, the a rigid element extending transversely between the first and second surfaces.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first sensing mass is elastically coupled to an interior surface of the first driving mass and the second sensing mass is coupled to an interior surface of the second driving mass.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the first sensing mass includes an electrode extending from the first sensing mass towards the interior surface of the first driving mass and the second sensing mass includes an electrode extending from the second sensing mass towards the interior surface of the second driving mass.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein a first set of fixed electrodes is positioned on the substrate between the first sensing mass and the first driving mass and a second set of fixed electrodes is positioned on the substrate between the second sensing mass and the second driving mass, the first set of fixed electrodes being configured to interact with the electrode extending from the first sensing mass and the second set of fixed electrodes being configured to interact with the electrode extending from the second sensing mass.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the first sensing mass includes elastic connection elements that couple a first spring to both a first end and a second end of the first sensing mass by and the second sensing mass includes elastic connection elements that couple a second spring to both a first end and a second end of the second sensing mass, the rigid element being coupled to the first spring and the second spring.

19. A method, comprising:

forming a structure integrated with a substrate of a die, the forming of the structure including;

coupling a first driving mass to the substrate;

coupling a second driving mass to the substrate adjacent to the first driving mass;

coupling a driving assembly to the first driving mass and to the second driving mass;

elastically coupling a first sensing mass to the first driving mass, the first sensing mass having a first surface;

elastically coupling a second sensing mass to the second driving mass, the second sensing mass having a second surface facing the first surface; and

coupling a rigid element between the first and second sensing masses, the rigid element extending transversely to the first and second surfaces.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising elastically coupling the first sensing mass to an interior surface of the first driving mass and elastically coupling the second sensing mass to an interior surface of the second driving mass.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising forming an electrode extending from the first sensing mass towards the interior surface of the first driving mass and forming an electrode extending from the second sensing mass towards the interior surface of the second driving mass.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising forming a first set of fixed electrodes positioned on the substrate between the first sensing mass and the first driving mass and forming a second set of fixed electrodes positioned on the substrate between the second sensing mass and the second driving mass, the first set of fixed electrodes being configured to interact with the electrode extending from the first sensing mass and the second set of fixed electrodes being configured to interact with the electrode extending from the second sensing mass.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the rigid element extends along an axis between a central location of the both the first and second sensing masses.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the electrode from the first sensing mass extends along the axis away from the second sensing mass and the electrode from the second sensing mass extends along the axis away from the first sensing mass.