Capacitive accelerometer

• US 8,910,523 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2012
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RichWave Technology Corp
• Original Assignee: RichWave Technology Corp
• Inventors: Shen, Ching-Kai
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAPMAN JR, JOHN E
• Application Number:
  US13/397,684
• Publication Number:
  US 20130074599A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• Field of Search: 735/143.2
• US Class Current: 73/514.32
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/125 by capacitive pick-up
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/18 in two or more dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/082 for two degrees of freedom of movement of a single mass
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/0831 the mass being of the paddle type having the pivot axis between the longitudinal ends of the mass, e.g. see-saw configuration

Abstract

A capacitive accelerometer includes a substrate and a first semiconductor layer. The first semiconductor layer is disposed on the substrate and includes a first mass, first and second anchors, first and second elastic members, and first and second comb capacitor sets. The first and second anchors are disposed at positions corresponding to first and second axes respectively. The first elastic member is connected to the first mass and the first anchor in a manner of bending back and forth perpendicular to the first axis. The second elastic member is connected to the first mass and the second anchor in a manner of bending back and forth perpendicular to the second axis. The first and second comb capacitor sets are disposed at positions corresponding to the second and first axes respectively and connected to the first mass. The first axis is perpendicular to the second axis.

Claims

1. A capacitive accelerometer comprising:

a substrate; and

a first semiconductor layer disposed on the substrate, the first semiconductor layer comprising;

a first mass;

two first anchors located on at least one side of the first mass corresponding to a first axis;

two first elastic members, each first elastic member being connected to the first mass and the corresponding first anchor in a manner of bending back and forth perpendicular to the first axis, for making the first mass move elastically along the first axis when a force is applied to the first mass in the first axis, and the bending times of the two first elastic members being different from each other;

at least one first combo capacitor set connected to at least one side of the first mass corresponding to a second axis;

at least one second anchor located on at least one side of the first mass corresponding to the second axis;

a second elastic member connected to the first mass and the second anchor in a manner of bending back and forth perpendicular to the second axis, for making the first mass move elastically along the second axis when a force is applied to the first mass in the second axis; and

at least one second combo capacitor set connected to at least one side of the first mass corresponding to the first axis;

wherein the first axis is perpendicular to the second axis.

2. The capacitive accelerometer of claim 1, wherein the substrate has at least one sensing electrode and the capacitive accelerometer further comprises:

a second semiconductor layer disposed on the substrate and located at a side of the first semiconductor layer, the second semiconductor layer comprising;

a second mass having a torsion shaft along the first axis or the second axis for generating a sensing capacity with the sensing electrode; and

at least one third anchor connected to the torsion shaft for making the second mass asymmetrically disposed above the sensing electrode;

wherein the second mass is rotated relative to the torsion shaft when a force is applied to the second mass in a third axis, and the third axis is perpendicular to the first axis and the second axis.

3. The capacitive accelerometer of claim 1, wherein the first semiconductor layer comprises two first combo capacitor sets and each first combo capacitor set comprises:

a plurality of combo capacitor fingers extendedly formed from the first mass; and

a plurality of fixed combo capacitor fingers fixed to the substrate, arranged alternatively with the plurality of combo capacitor fingers, and parallel to the plurality of combo capacitor fingers;

wherein numbers of the combo capacitor finger on the two first combo capacitor sets or numbers of the fixed combo capacitor finger on the two first combo capacitor sets are different from each other.

4. A capacitive accelerometer comprising:

a substrate; and

a first semiconductor layer disposed on the substrate, the first semiconductor layer comprising;

a first mass;

at least two first anchors respectively located on at least one side of the first mass corresponding to a first axis;

two first elastic members respectively connected to the first mass and the corresponding first anchor in a manner of bending back and forth parallel to the first axis, for making the first mass move elastically along a second axis when a force is applied to the first mass in the second axis;

at least one first combo capacitor set connected to at least one side of the first mass corresponding to the first axis;

at least two second anchors respectively located on at least one side of the first mass corresponding to the second axis;

two second elastic members respectively connected to the first mass and the corresponding second anchor in a manner of bending back and forth parallel to the second axis, for making the first mass move elastically along the first axis when a force is applied to the first mass in the first axis; and

at least one second combo capacitor set connected to at least one side of the first mass corresponding to the second axis;

wherein the bending times of the two first elastic members are different from each other, and the first axis is perpendicular to the second axis.

5. The capacitive accelerometer of claim 4, wherein the substrate has at least one sensing electrode and the capacitive accelerometer further comprises:

a second semiconductor layer disposed on the substrate and located at a side of the first semiconductor layer, the second semiconductor layer comprising;

a second mass having a torsion shaft along the first axis or the second axis for generating a sensing capacity with the sensing electrode; and

at least one third anchor connected to the torsion shaft for making the second mass asymmetrically disposed above the sensing electrode;

wherein the second mass is rotated relative to the torsion shaft when a force is applied to the second mass in a third axis, and the third axis is perpendicular to the first axis and the second axis.

6. The capacitive accelerometer of claim 4, wherein the first semiconductor layer comprises two first combo capacitor sets and each first combo capacitor set comprises:

a plurality of combo capacitor fingers extendedly formed from the first mass; and

a plurality of fixed combo capacitor fingers fixed to the substrate, arranged alternatively with the plurality of combo capacitor fingers, and parallel to the plurality of combo capacitor fingers;

wherein numbers of the combo capacitor finger on the two first combo capacitor sets or numbers of the fixed combo capacitor finger on the two first combo capacitor sets are different from each other.

7. A capacitive accelerometer comprising:

a substrate; and

a first semiconductor layer disposed on the substrate, the first semiconductor layer comprising;

a first mass;

at least one first anchor located on at least one side of the first mass corresponding to a first axis;

a first elastic member having a first bending structure and a first step structure, the first bending structure being connected to the first anchor in a manner of bending back and forth corresponding to the first axis, the first step structure being connected between the first mass and the first bending structure and having a plurality of steps continuously formed thereon;

at least one first combo capacitor set connected to at least one side of the first mass corresponding to the first axis;

at least one second anchor located on at least one side of the first mass corresponding to a second axis;

a second elastic member having a second bending structure and a second step structure, the second bending structure being connected to the second anchor in a manner of bending back and forth corresponding to the second axis, the second step structure being connected between the first mass and the second bending structure and having a plurality of steps continuously formed thereon, at least two protruding blocks being formed on the first mass corresponding to the first step structure and the second step structure respectively; and

at least one second combo capacitor set connected to at least one side of the first mass corresponding to the second axis;

wherein the first axis is perpendicular to the second axis.

8. The capacitive accelerometer of claim 7, wherein the substrate has at least one sensing electrode and the capacitive accelerometer further comprises:

a second semiconductor layer disposed on the substrate and located at a side of the first semiconductor layer, the second semiconductor layer comprising;

a second mass having a torsion shaft along the first axis or the second axis for generating a sensing capacity with the sensing electrode; and

at least one third anchor connected to the torsion shaft for making the second mass asymmetrically disposed above the sensing electrode;

wherein the second mass is rotated relative to the torsion shaft when a force is applied to the second mass in a third axis, and the third axis is perpendicular to the first axis and the second axis.

9. The capacitive accelerometer of claim 7, wherein the first semiconductor layer comprises two first combo capacitor sets and each first combo capacitor set comprises:

a plurality of combo capacitor fingers extendedly formed from the first mass;

a plurality of fixed combo capacitor fingers fixed to the substrate, arranged alternatively with the plurality of combo capacitor fingers, and parallel to the plurality of combo capacitor fingers;

wherein numbers of the combo capacitor finger on the two first combo capacitor sets or numbers of the fixed combo capacitor finger on the two first combo capacitor sets are different from each other.

10. The capacitive accelerometer of claim 7, wherein the first bending structure is connected between the first anchor and the first step structure in a manner of bending back and forth perpendicular to the first axis and the second bending structure is connected between the second anchor and the second step structure in a manner of bending back and forth perpendicular to the second axis.

11. The capacitive accelerometer of claim 7, wherein the first bending structure is connected between the first anchor and the first step structure in a manner of bending back and forth parallel to the first axis, and the second bending structure is connected between the second anchor and the second step structure in a manner of bending back and forth parallel to the second axis.

12. The capacitive accelerometer of claim 7, wherein the first semiconductor layer comprises two first anchors and two first elastic members, each first bending structure is connected between the first mass and the corresponding first anchor in a manner of bending back and forth corresponding to the first axis, and the bending times of the two first bending structures are different from each other.

13. A capacitive accelerometer comprising:

a substrate; and

a first semiconductor layer disposed on the substrate, the first semiconductor layer comprising;

a first mass;

at least two first combo capacitor sets connected to at least one side of the first mass corresponding to a first axis;

at least two first anchors disposed between the two first combo capacitor sets and located at the same side where the at least two first combo capacitor sets are connected to the first mass;

at least two first elastic members located between the at least two first combo capacitor sets and located at the same side where the at least two first combo capacitor sets are connected to the first mass, each first elastic member being connected between the first mass and the corresponding first anchor in a manner of bending back and forth corresponding to the first axis;

at least two second combo capacitor sets connected to at least one side of the first mass corresponding to a second axis;

at least one second anchor disposed between the two second combo capacitor sets; and

a second elastic member connected between the first mass and the second anchor in a manner of bending back and forth corresponding to the second axis;

wherein the first axis is perpendicular to the second axis.

14. The capacitive accelerometer of claim 13, wherein the substrate has at least one sensing electrode and the capacitive accelerometer further comprises:

a second semiconductor layer disposed on the substrate and located at a side of the first semiconductor layer, the second semiconductor layer comprising;

a second mass having a torsion shaft along the first axis or the second axis for generating a sensing capacity with the sensing electrode; and

at least one third anchor connected to the torsion shaft for making the second mass asymmetrically disposed above the sensing electrode;

wherein the second mass is rotated relative to the torsion shaft when a force is applied to the second mass in a third axis, and the third axis is perpendicular to the first axis and the second axis.

15. The capacitive accelerometer of claim 13, wherein the first semiconductor layer comprises two first combo capacitor sets and each first combo capacitor set comprises:

a plurality of combo capacitor fingers extendedly formed from the first mass;

a plurality of fixed combo capacitor fingers fixed to the substrate, arranged alternatively with the plurality of combo capacitor fingers, and parallel to the plurality of combo capacitor fingers;

wherein numbers of the combo capacitor finger on the two first combo capacitor sets or numbers of the fixed combo capacitor finger on the two first combo capacitor sets are different from each other.

16. The capacitive accelerometer of claim 13, wherein the first elastic member is connected between the first anchor and the first mass in a manner of bending back and forth perpendicular to the first axis, and the second elastic member is connected between the second anchor and the first mass in a manner of bending back and forth perpendicular to the second axis.

17. The capacitive accelerometer of claim 13, wherein the first elastic member is connected between the first support base and the first mass in a manner of bending back and forth parallel to the first axis, and the second elastic member is connected between the second anchor and the first mass in a manner of bending back and forth parallel to the second axis.

18. The capacitive accelerometer of claim 13, wherein the first semiconductor layer comprises two first anchors and two first elastic members, each first elastic member is connected between the first mass and the corresponding first anchor in a manner of bending back and forth corresponding to the first axis, and the bending times of the two first elastic members are different from each other.