Stacked lateral overlap transducer (SLOT) based three-axis accelerometer
First Claim
1. An accelerometer, comprising:
- a substrate extending substantially in a first plane;
a first plurality of electrodes formed substantially along a first axis on the substrate;
a second plurality of electrodes formed substantially along a second axis on the substrate;
a central anchor attached to the substrate;
a frame attached to the central anchor and extending substantially in a second plane, the frame being substantially constrained for motion along the second axis; and
a proof mass attached to the frame and extending substantially in the second plane, the proof mass having a first plurality of slots extending along the first axis and a second plurality of slots extending along the second axis, the proof mass being substantially constrained for motion along the first axis and along the second axis,wherein a lateral movement of the proof mass in response to an applied lateral acceleration along the first axis results in a first change in capacitance at the second plurality of electrodes,wherein a lateral movement of the proof mass in response to an applied lateral acceleration along the second axis results in a second change in capacitance at the first plurality of electrodes, andwherein the first and second pluralities of electrodes are formed substantially in a third plane that is disposed between the first plane and the second plane, the third plane separated from the second plane by a gap.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for making and using accelerometers. Some such accelerometers include a substrate, a first plurality of electrodes, a second plurality of electrodes, a first anchor attached to the substrate, a frame and a proof mass. The substrate may extend substantially in a first plane. The proof mass may be attached to the frame, may extend substantially in a second plane and may be substantially constrained for motion along first and second axes. The frame may be attached to the first anchor, may extend substantially in a second plane and may be substantially constrained for motion along the second axis. A lateral movement of the proof mass in response to an applied lateral acceleration along the first or second axes may result in a change in capacitance at the first or second plurality of electrodes.
-
Citations
18 Claims
-
1. An accelerometer, comprising:
-
a substrate extending substantially in a first plane; a first plurality of electrodes formed substantially along a first axis on the substrate; a second plurality of electrodes formed substantially along a second axis on the substrate; a central anchor attached to the substrate; a frame attached to the central anchor and extending substantially in a second plane, the frame being substantially constrained for motion along the second axis; and a proof mass attached to the frame and extending substantially in the second plane, the proof mass having a first plurality of slots extending along the first axis and a second plurality of slots extending along the second axis, the proof mass being substantially constrained for motion along the first axis and along the second axis, wherein a lateral movement of the proof mass in response to an applied lateral acceleration along the first axis results in a first change in capacitance at the second plurality of electrodes, wherein a lateral movement of the proof mass in response to an applied lateral acceleration along the second axis results in a second change in capacitance at the first plurality of electrodes, and wherein the first and second pluralities of electrodes are formed substantially in a third plane that is disposed between the first plane and the second plane, the third plane separated from the second plane by a gap. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. An accelerometer, comprising:
-
a substrate extending substantially in a first plane; a first plurality of electrodes formed substantially along a first axis on the substrate; a second plurality of electrodes formed substantially along a second axis on the substrate; a central anchor attached to the substrate; a frame attached to the central anchor and extending substantially in a second plane, the frame being substantially constrained for motion along the second axis; and proof mass means for responding to an applied lateral movement along the first axis by causing in a first change in capacitance at the second plurality of electrodes, and for responding to an applied lateral movement along the second axis by causing in a second change in capacitance at the first plurality of electrodes, the proof mass means attached to the frame means and extending substantially in the second plane, the proof mass means being substantially constrained for motion along the first axis and along the second axis, wherein the first and second pluralities of electrodes are formed substantially in a third plane that is disposed between the first plane and the second plane, the third plane separated from the second plane by a gap. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
-
Specification