Method for operating and/or for measuring a micromechanical device, and micromechanical device

• US 9,291,455 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2013
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Classen, Johannes, Gauger, Christoph, Wellner, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): KWOK, HELEN C
• Application Number:
  US13/918,556
• Publication Number:
  US 20130333469A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: 735/041.2, 735/041.4, 735/040.2, 735/040.4
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/56 Turn-sensitive devices using vibrating masses, e.g. vibratory angular rate sensors based on Coriolis forces
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5719 using planar vibrating masses driven in a translation vibration along an axis
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/574 the devices having two sensing masses in anti-phase motion
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5747 each sensing mass being connected to a driving mass, e.g. driving frames

Abstract

A method for operating and/or measuring a micromechanical device. The device has a first and second seismic mass which are movable by oscillation relative to a substrate; a first drive device for deflecting the first seismic mass and a second drive device for deflecting the second seismic mass, parallel to a drive direction in a first orientation; a third drive device for deflecting the first seismic mass, and a fourth drive device for deflecting the second seismic mass in parallel to the drive direction and according to a second orientation opposite from the first orientation; a first detection device for detecting drive motion of the first seismic mass; and a second detection device for detecting drive motion of the second seismic mass. A first and a second detection signal are generated by the first and second detection devices, the first detection signal being evaluated separately from the second detection signal.

Claims

1. A method at least one of for operating and measuring a micromechanical device, the micromechanical device having a first seismic mass which is movable by oscillation relative to a substrate, and a second seismic mass which is movable by oscillation relative to the substrate, the micromechanical device having a first drive device to deflect the first seismic mass, and a second drive device to deflect the second seismic mass, in each case in parallel to a drive direction and according to a first orientation, the micromechanical device having a third drive device to deflect the first seismic mass, and a fourth drive device to deflect the second seismic mass in parallel to the drive direction and according to a second orientation opposite from the first orientation, the micromechanical device having a first detection device to detect solely a drive motion of the first seismic mass, the micromechanical device having a second detection device to detect solely a drive motion of the second seismic mass, the method comprising:

generating, by the first detection device, a first detection signal;

generating, by the second detection device, a second detection signal; and

evaluating the first detection signal separately from the second detection signal.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first drive device and the first detection device are situated along the drive direction on different sides with respect to the first seismic mass, and the second drive device and the second detection device are situated along the drive direction on different sides with respect to the second seismic mass.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first seismic mass is connected to a first drive transmission element, and the second seismic mass is connected to a second drive transmission element, the first drive device and the first detection device being situated along the drive direction on different sides with respect to the first drive transmission element, and the second drive device and the second detection device being situated along the drive direction on different sides with respect to the second drive transmission element.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first and the second detection signals are detected during a premeasurement as part of a manufacture or characterization process of the micromechanical device.

5. A micromechanical device, comprising:

a first seismic mass;

a second seismic mass;

a first drive device to deflect the first seismic mass, and a second drive device to deflect the second seismic mass, in each case in parallel to a drive direction and according to a first orientation;

a third drive device to deflect the first seismic mass, and a fourth drive device to deflect the second seismic mass in parallel to the drive direction and according to a second orientation opposite from the first orientation;

a first detection device to detect solely a drive motion of the first seismic mass; and

a second detection device to detect solely a drive motion of the second seismic mass;

wherein the micromechanical device is configured in such a way that a first detection signal is generated by the first detection device and a second detection signal is generated by the second detection device, the micromechanical device being configured to separately evaluate the first and the second detection signals.

6. The micromechanical device as recited in claim 5, wherein the micromechanical device is a yaw rate sensor.

7. The micromechanical device as recited in claim 5, wherein the first drive device and the first detection device are situated along the drive direction on different sides with respect to the first seismic mass, and the second drive device and the second detection device are situated along the drive direction on different sides with respect to the second seismic mass.

8. The micromechanical device as recited in claim 5, wherein the first seismic mass is connected to a first drive transmission element and the second seismic mass is connected to a second drive transmission element, the first drive device and the first detection device being situated along the drive direction on different sides with respect to the first drive transmission element, and the second drive device and the second detection device being situated along the drive direction on different sides with respect to the second drive transmission element.

9. The micromechanical device as recited in claim 8, wherein the first drive device and the first detection device are situated along the drive direction on the same side with respect to a first substructure including the first seismic mass, and the second drive device and the second detection device are situated along the drive direction on the same side with respect to a second substructure including the second seismic mass.

10. The micromechanical device as recited in claim 5, wherein the first drive device, the third drive device, and the first detection device are each designed as finger electrodes which together with counter electrodes of the first seismic mass form comb structures, and the second drive device, the fourth drive device, and the second detection device are each designed as finger electrodes which together with counter electrodes of the second seismic mass form further comb structures.