Three-dimensional micro-electro-mechanical-system sensor

• US 9,010,185 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2012
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: PixArt Imaging Incorporated
• Original Assignee: PixArt Imaging Incorporated
• Inventors: Tsai, Ming-Han, Sun, Chih-Ming
• Primary Examiner(s): KWOK, HELEN C
• Application Number:
  US13/482,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20130139595A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• Field of Search: 735/143.2, 735/143.8, 735/143.6, 735/142.4, 735/141.5, 735/10
• 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 2015/084 the mass being suspended at more than one of its sides, e.g. membrane-type suspension, so as to permit multi-axis movement of the mass
• 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

Abstract

The present invention discloses a three-dimensional micro-electro-mechanical-system sensor. The sensor includes movable first electrodes, plural movable second electrodes, plural fixed third electrodes, and plural fixed fourth electrodes. The first electrodes and their adjacent third electrodes form at least one first capacitor and at least one second capacitor, and the second electrodes and their adjacent fourth electrodes form at least one third capacitor. The capacitance change of the first capacitor reflects the displacement of the proof mass along a first axis, the capacitance change of the second capacitor reflects the displacement of the proof mass along a second axis, and the capacitance change of the third capacitor reflects the displacement of the proof mass along a third axis. The first, second, and third axes define a three-dimensional coordinate system.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional micro-electro-mechanical-system sensor, comprising:

a substrate;

a fixed frame fixed on the substrate;

a proof mass;

at least one spring part connecting the fixed frame and the proof mass;

a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes respectively extending from the proof mass toward the fixed frame; and

a plurality of third electrodes and a plurality of fourth electrodes respectively extending from the fixed frame toward the proof mass, wherein the first electrodes and the third electrodes form at least one first capacitor and at least one second capacitor, and the second electrodes and the fourth electrodes form at least one third capacitor,

wherein a displacement of the proof mass along a first axis generates a change in the capacitance of the first capacitor, a displacement of the proof mass along a second axis generates a change in the capacitance of the second capacitor, a displacement of the proof mass along a third axis generates a change in the capacitance of the third capacitor, and the first, second, and third axes define a three-dimensional coordinate system;

the first electrodes overlap with the fourth electrodes along the direction of the third axis, and the third electrodes overlap with the second electrodes along the direction of the third axis.

2. The three-dimensional micro-electro-mechanical-system sensor of claim 1, wherein there is at least one third electrode between two adjacent first electrodes.

3. The three-dimensional micro-electro-mechanical-system sensor of claim 2, wherein the second electrodes include a plurality of upper second electrodes and a plurality of lower second electrodes, and the upper second electrodes and the lower second electrodes are disposed on at least a lateral side of the proof mass in a manner that the upper second electrodes do not overlap with the lower second electrodes along the direction of the third axis.

4. The three-dimensional micro-electro-mechanical-system sensor of claim 3, wherein the fourth electrodes include a plurality of upper fourth electrodes and a plurality of lower fourth electrodes, and the upper fourth electrodes and the lower fourth electrodes are disposed on an internal side of the fixed frame in a manner that the upper fourth electrodes do not overlap with the lower fourth electrodes along the direction of the third axis.

5. The three-dimensional micro-electro-mechanical-system sensor of claim 4, wherein at least one upper second electrode and at least one lower fourth electrode overlap with each other along the third axis to form the third capacitor, and at least one lower second electrode and at least one upper fourth electrode overlap with each other along the third axis to form another third capacitor.

6. The three-dimensional micro-electro-mechanical-system sensor of claim 1, wherein there are at least two third electrodes between two adjacent first electrodes.

7. The three-dimensional micro-electro-mechanical-system sensor of claim 6, wherein the second electrodes include a plurality of upper second electrodes and a plurality of lower second electrodes, and there are two lower second electrodes between two adjacent upper second electrodes, the upper second electrodes and the lower second electrodes being disposed on a lateral side of the proof mass and the upper second electrodes do not overlap with the lower second electrodes along the direction of the third axis.

8. The three-dimensional micro-electro-mechanical-system sensor of claim 7, wherein the fourth electrodes include a plurality of upper fourth electrodes and a plurality of lower fourth electrodes, and there are two lower fourth electrodes between two upper fourth electrodes, the upper fourth electrodes and the lower fourth electrodes being disposed on an internal side of the fixed frame and the upper fourth electrodes do not overlap with the lower fourth electrodes along the direction of the third axis.

9. The three-dimensional micro-electro-mechanical-system sensor of claim 8, wherein at least one upper second electrode and at least one lower fourth electrode overlap with each other along the third axis to form the third capacitor, and at least one lower second electrode and at least one upper fourth electrode overlap with each other along the third axis to form another third capacitor.

10. The three-dimensional micro-electro-mechanical-system sensor of claim 1, wherein the first electrodes and the third electrodes extend along the direction of the first axis or the direction of the second axis.

11. The three-dimensional micro-electro-mechanical-system sensor of claim 1, further comprising a fully differential acceleration detection circuit which detects differential signals generated from (a) four first capacitors, (b) four second electrodes, or (c) four third electrodes and amplifies the differential signals.

12. The three-dimensional micro-electro-mechanical-system sensor of claim 1, further comprising a differential acceleration detection circuit which detects differential signals of (a) two first capacitors, (b) two second electrodes, or (c) two third electrodes and amplifies the differential signals.

13. The three-dimensional micro-electro-mechanical-system sensor of claim 1, wherein the fourth electrodes are at least partially between the first electrodes and the substrate.

14. The three-dimensional micro-electro-mechanical-system sensor of claim 13, wherein the second electrodes are at least partially between the first electrodes and the substrate.

15. The three-dimensional micro-electro-mechanical-system sensor of claim 1, wherein the fourth electrodes are at least partially between the third electrodes and the substrate.

16. The three-dimensional micro-electro-mechanical-system sensor of claim 15, wherein the third electrodes are between the fourth electrodes and the substrate.

17. The three-dimensional micro-electro-mechanical-system sensor of claim 16, wherein the first electrodes are between the second electrodes and the substrate.

18. The three-dimensional micro-electro-mechanical-system sensor of claim 1, wherein there are four spring parts which symmetrically connect the proof mass and the fixed frame.

19. The three-dimensional micro-electro-mechanical-system sensor of claim 1, wherein the fixed frame is in the form of a closed surrounding wall, a plurality of pillars, or a plurality of walls.

20. The three-dimensional micro-electro-mechanical-system sensor of claim 1, wherein the proof mass is movable in an in-plane direction and an out-of-plane direction relative to the plane defined by the first axis and the second axis.

21. A three-dimensional micro-electro-mechanical-system sensor, comprising:

a substrate;

a fixed frame fixed on the substrate;

a proof mass;

at least one spring part connecting the fixed frame and the proof mass;

a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes respectively extending from the proof mass toward the fixed frame; and

a plurality of third electrodes and fourth electrodes respectively extending from the fixed frame toward the proof mass,

wherein;

the first electrodes and the third electrodes arranged along a first axis form at least one first capacitor,

the first electrodes and the third electrodes arranged along a second axis form at least one second capacitor,

a portion of the second electrodes overlapping a portion of the fourth electrodes along a third axis to form at least one third capacitor,

the first, second, and third axes are perpendicular to one another; and

the first electrodes overlap with the fourth electrodes along the direction of the third axis, and the third electrodes overlap with the second electrodes along the direction of the third axis.

22. The three-dimensional micro-electro-mechanical-system sensor of claim 21, wherein a displacement of the proof mass along the first axis generates a change in the capacitance of the first capacitor;

a displacement of the proof mass along the second axis generates a change in the capacitance of the second capacitor; and

a displacement of the proof mass along the third axis generates a change in the capacitance of the third capacitor, and the first, second, and third axes define a three-dimensional coordinate system.