Flexure bearing to reduce quadrature for resonating micromachined devices

• US 9,352,961 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2011
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries LLC (ON Semiconductor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation (ON Semiconductor Corporation)
• Inventors: Acar, Cenk, Bloomsburgh, John Gardner
• Primary Examiner(s): KWOK, HELEN C
• Application Number:
  US13/813,443
• Publication Number:
  US 20130298671A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,719 Days
• Field of Search: 735/041.2, 735/040.4, 735/041.4, 735/040.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/00523 Etching material
• 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 19/5712 the devices involving a micromechanical structure

Abstract

An example include microelectromechanical die for sensing motion that includes a fixed portion, an anchor coupled to the fixed portion, a first nonlinear suspension member coupled to anchor on a side of the anchor, a second nonlinear suspension member coupled to the anchor on the same side of the anchor, the second nonlinear suspension member having a shape and location mirroring the first nonlinear suspension member about an anchor bisecting plane and a proof-mass that is planar, the proof mass suspended at least in part by the first nonlinear suspension member and the second nonlinear suspension member such that the proof-mass is rotable about the anchor and is slideable in a plane parallel to the fixed portion.

Claims

1. A microelectromechanical die for sensing motion, comprising:

a fixed portion;

an anchor coupled to the fixed portion;

a first nonlinear suspension member coupled to the anchor on a side of the anchor;

a second nonlinear suspension member coupled to the anchor on the same side of the anchor, the second nonlinear suspension member having a shape and location mirroring the first nonlinear suspension member about an anchor bisecting plane; and

a proof-mass that is planar, the proof mass suspended at least in part by the first nonlinear suspension member and the second nonlinear suspension member such that the proof-mass is rotable about the anchor and is slideable in a plane parallel to the fixed portion.

2. The die of claim 1, wherein the first nonlinear suspension member has a C-shape.

3. The die of claim 2, wherein the C-shape includes a inner portion coupled to the anchor and extending toward the anchor bisecting plane, a center portion having a proximal portion and a distal portion, with a proximal portion coupled to the inner portion and a distal portion extending away from the anchor along the anchor bisecting plane and coupled to an outer portion extending away from the anchor bisecting plane.

4. The die of claim 3, wherein the outer portion of the first nonlinear suspension member has a proximal portion coupled to the center portion of the first nonlinear suspension member, and a distal portion extending away from the anchor bisecting plane, with a fourth portion of the first nonlinear suspension member coupled to the distal portion of the outer portion at a proximal portion of the fourth portion, and extending toward the anchor to a distal portion of the fourth portion that is coupled to a fifth portion of the first nonlinear suspension member that extends toward the anchor bisecting plane.

5. The die of claim 3, wherein the inner portion and the outer portion are linear and parallel.

6. The die of claim 5, wherein the center portion is perpendicular to the inner portion and the outer portion.

7. The die of claim 3, wherein the center portion is parallel to the anchor bisecting plane.

8. The die of claim 3, wherein the anchor, the first nonlinear suspension member, the second nonlinear suspension member and the proof-mass are formed of a monolithic material.

9. The die of claim 8, wherein the fixed portion comprises a fixed monolithic material other than the monolithic material of the anchor, the first nonlinear suspension member, the second nonlinear suspension member and the proof-mass.

10. The die of claim 9, wherein the fixed portion comprises a fixed monolithic material that is the same as the monolithic material of the anchor, the first nonlinear suspension member, the second nonlinear suspension member, and the proof-mass.

11. A method for sensing motion with a microelectromechanical die, comprising:

rotating a proof mass with respect to an anchor that is coupled to a substrate by;

deforming a first nonlinear suspension member, that couples the proof-mass to a first side of the anchor, out-of-plane of the plane of the proof-mass, above the proof-mass; and

deforming a second nonlinear suspension member, that couples the proof-mass to the first side of the anchor, out-of-plane of the plane of the proof-mass on an opposite first side of the plane of the proof-mass, below the proof-mass.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the deforming the second nonlinear suspension member provides an out-of-plane motion below the proof-mass that cancels out an out-of-plane motion above the proof-mass.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein,

deforming a third nonlinear suspension member, that couples the proof-mass to a second side of the anchor, out-of-plane of the plane of the proof-mass;

and

deforming a fourth nonlinear suspension member, that couples the proof-mass to the second side of the anchor, out-of-plane of the plane of the proof-mass on an opposite second side of the plane of the proof-mass.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein, the second side of the anchor is opposite the first side of the anchor, wherein deforming the third nonlinear suspension member includes deforming the third nonlinear suspension member below the plane of the proof-mass, and wherein deforming the fourth nonlinear suspension member includes deforming the fourth nonlinear suspension member above the plane of the proof-mass.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the plane bisects the anchor vertically and passes between the first and second nonlinear suspension members and between the third and fourth nonlinear suspension members.