Element structure, inertia sensor, and electronic device

• US 8,950,259 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2011
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 138 East LCD Advancements Limited (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Takagi, Shigekazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Macchiarolo, Peter
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shah, Samir M
• Application Number:
  US13/115,580
• Publication Number:
  US 20110290023A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,357 Days
• Field of Search: 731/525.9, 735/141.6, 735/143.2
• US Class Current: 73/514.32
• 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 15/18 in two or more dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/0814 for translational movement of the mass, e.g. shuttle type
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/0828 the mass being of the paddle type being suspended at one of its longitudinal ends
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/0845 using a plurality of spring-mass systems being arranged on one common planar substrate, the systems not being mechanically coupled and the sensitive direction of each system being different
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/0865 using integrated signal processing circuitry

Abstract

The manufacturing of an element structure including two or more sensor element is to be facilitated. An element structure includes a first substrate including a first support layer and a first sensor element disposed on the first support layer and a second substrate including a second support layer and a second sensor element disposed on the second support layer, wherein the second substrate is disposed on the first substrate via a spacer member in a state in which the first sensor element and the second sensor element are disposed to face each other.

Claims

1. A movement sensor, comprising:

a first substrate that has a first support layer on which a first sensor element is mounted; and

a second substrate that has a second support layer on which a second sensor element is mounted,

wherein a surface on which the first sensor element of the first support layer is mounted and a surface on which the second sensor element of the second support layer is mounted face each other;

the first sensor element includes a first movable part including a first movable electrode that moves relative to a first fixed electrode formed on a first fixed part of the first sensor element, the first fixed electrode facing the first movable electrode; and

the second sensor element includes a second movable part including a second movable electrode that moves relative to a second fixed electrode formed on a second fixed part of the second sensor element, the second fixed electrode facing the second movable electrode.

2. The movement sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first sensor element detects a force in a first direction when seen in a plan view, and the second sensor element detects a force in a second direction intersecting with the first direction when seen in the plan view.

3. The movement sensor according to claim 2, wherein the first movable part of the first sensor element includes a first movable weight part supported by the first support layer side of the second support layer, the first movable electrode being formed on the first movable weight part, wherein, when the first movable weight part is applied with the force in the first direction when seen in the plan view, the first movable electrode is displaced in the first direction, and

the second movable part of the second sensor element includes a second movable weight part supported by the second support layer side of the first support layer, the second movable electrode being formed on the second movable weight part, wherein, when the second movable weight part is applied with the force in the second direction when seen in the plan view, the second movable electrode is displaced in the second direction.

4. The movement sensor according to claim 3, wherein the first sensor element includes a first capacitor of which a respective capacitance value is reduced and a second capacitor of which a respective capacitance value is increased, when the force in the first direction is applied to the first movable weight part, and

the second sensor element includes a first capacitor of which a respective capacitance value is reduced and a second capacitor of which a respective capacitance value is increased, when the force in the second direction is applied to the second movable weight part.

5. The movement sensor according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate is provided with a third sensor element, and

the third sensor element includes a capacitor of which a respective capacitance value is changed, when a force in a third direction intersecting with a surface including the first direction and the second direction is generated.

6. The movement sensor according to claim 5, wherein the third sensor element includes a first movable beam as a third movable electrode and a first fixing part, the first movable beam including one end that is supported by a first support layer side of the second support layer and another end extending into a first cavity, and the first fixing part acts as a first fixing electrode that is fixed to a second support layer side of the first support layer,

wherein the first fixing part part faces the first movable beam, with a gap therebetween.

7. The movement sensor according to claim 6, wherein the third sensor element includes a second movable beam as a fourth movable electrode and a second fixing part, the second movable beam including one end that is supported by the second support layer side of the first support layer and another end extending into a second cavity, and the second fixing part acts as a second fixing electrode that is fixed to the first support layer side of the second support layer,

wherein the second fixing part faces the second movable beam, with a gap therebetween.

8. The movement sensor according to claim 5, wherein the third sensor element is disposed around at least one of the first sensor element and the second sensor element when seen in the plan view.

9. The movement sensor according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first support layer and the second support layer includes an insulating layer and at least one of the first sensor element and the second sensor element is supported via the insulating layer.

10. The movement sensor according to claim 1, wherein a spacer member is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate.

11. The movement sensor according to claim 10, wherein a sealing body having a space formed therein is formed by the first substrate, the second substrate, and the space member.

12. The movement sensor according to claim 10, wherein the spacer member includes:

a resin core part formed using a resin; and

a conductor layer formed to cover at least a portion of a surface of the resin core part.

13. An inertia sensor, comprising:

the movement sensor according to claim 1; and

a signal processing circuit that processes electrical signals output from the movement sensor.

14. An electronic device having the movement sensor according to claim 1.