Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS)

• US 9,463,974 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2011
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thales SA
• Original Assignee: Thales SA
• Inventors: Leverrier, Bertrand, Lefort, Olivier, Boura, Andre, Chaumet, Bernard
• Primary Examiner(s): DESAI, NAISHADH N
• Application Number:
  US13/282,774
• Publication Number:
  US 20120274176A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,811 Days
• Field of Search: 310/12.03, 310/300, 310/309, 310/330, 310/329, 310/331
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0235 Accelerometers
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0242 Gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2203/0109 Bridges
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 7/0048 between the MEMS die and the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5719 using planar vibrating masses driven in a translation vibration along an axis

Abstract

The micro-electro-mechanical system is provided with at least two separate anchoring elements (F1, F2) designed to be bound to a support. A anchoring element (F1, F2) is solidly linked to at least one beam (P1, P2) that can be deformed in bending, and two beams (P1, P2) respectively linked to two distinct anchoring elements (F1, F2) have different directions. A beam has a length L, a thickness e, and a height h, such that the stiffnesses KL in the directions of the length and of the height Kh are large and the stiffness in the direction of the thickness Ke is small.

Claims

1. A micro-electro-mechanical system provided with at least two separate anchoring elements (F1, or F2) designed to be bound to a support, characterized in that each beam (P1, or P2) that can be deformed in bending, is directly connected on both sides, one beam side connected to a respective one of the anchoring elements (F1, or F2) and the other side connected to an internal suspended area of the micro-electro-mechanical system, and in that the two beams (P1, P2) respectively connected to two distinct anchoring elements (F1, F2) have different directions with respect to each other, a beam having a length L, a thickness e, and a height h, such that L/e>

20 and h/e>

6, such that the stiffnesses KL in the directions of the length and of the height Kh are large and the stiffness in the direction of the thickness Ke is small with the stiffness Kh/Ke being on the order of (h/e)² and Kl/Ke being on the order of (L/e)².

2. The micro-electro-mechanical system as claimed in claim 1, in which two beams (P1, P2) respectively linked to two separate anchoring elements (F1, F2) have substantially orthogonal directions with respect to each other.

3. The micro-electro-mechanical system as claimed in claim 1, comprising three anchoring elements (F1, F2, F3).

4. The micro-electro-mechanical system as claimed in claim 3, in which the beam or beams (P1, P2) linked to two (F1, F2) of the three anchoring elements (F1, F2, F3) have a substantially identical direction with respect to each other, and the beam or beams (P3) linked to the other (F3) of the three anchoring elements (F1, F2, F3) have a direction substantially orthogonal to the direction of said other beam or beams (P1, P2).

5. The micro-electro-mechanical system as claimed in claim 1, comprising four anchoring elements (F1, F2, F3, F4).

6. The micro-electro-mechanical system as claimed in claim 5, in which the beam or beams (P1a, P1b, P2a, P2b) linked to two (F1, F2) of the four anchoring elements (F1, F2, F3, F4) have a substantially identical direction with respect to each other, and the beam or beams (P3a, P3b, P4a, P4b) linked to the other two (F3, F4) of the four anchoring elements (F1, F2, F3, F4) have a direction substantially orthogonal to the direction of said other beam or beams (P1a, P1b, P2a, P2b).

7. The micro-electro-mechanical system as claimed in claim 1, in which beams solidly linked to one and the same anchoring elements have substantially the same direction with respect to each other.

8. The micro-electro-mechanical system as claimed in claim 1, in which an anchoring element is solidly linked to four beams.

9. The micro-electro-mechanical system as claimed in claim 1, in which, said micro-electro-mechanical system being made of a multilayer material comprising at least one active layer and two protection layers on either side of the active layer, said beams are produced in one of the two protection layers.

10. The micro-electro-mechanical system as claimed in claim 3, in which beams solidly linked to one and the same anchoring elements have substantially the same direction with respect to each other.

11. The micro-electro-mechanical system as claimed in claim 3, in which an anchoring element is solidly linked to four beams.

12. The micro-electro-mechanical system as claimed in claim 3, in which, said micro-electro-mechanical system being made of a multilayer material comprising at least one active layer and two protection layers on either side of the active layer, said beams are produced in one of the two protection layers.

13. The micro-electro-mechanical system as claimed in claim 5, in which beams solidly linked to one and the same anchoring elements have substantially the same direction with respect to each other.

14. The micro-electro-mechanical system as claimed in claim 5, in which an anchoring element is solidly linked to four beams.

15. The micro-electro-mechanical system as claimed in claim 5, in which, said micro-electro-mechanical system being made of a multilayer material comprising at least one active layer and two protection layers on either side of the active layer, said beams are produced in one of the two protection layers.