Acceleration sensor structure and use thereof

• US 9,651,574 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2015
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Original Assignee: Murata Electronics OY (Murata Manufacturing Co Limited)
• Inventors: Blomqvist, Anssi, Roschier, Leif, RYTKONEN, Ville-Pekka
• Primary Examiner(s): Noori, Max
• Application Number:
  US14/920,566
• Publication Number:
  US 20160041194A1
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• Field of Search: 73488, 73862041-862046
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/00 Details of instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/00 Measuring acceleration; Measuring deceleration; Measuring shock, i.e. sudden change of acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/02 by making use of inertia forces using solid seismic massesG01P15/14 takes precedence
• 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 2015/0831 the mass being of the paddle type having the pivot axis between the longitudinal ends of the mass, e.g. see-saw configuration

Abstract

A MEMS-sensor structure comprising first means and second means coupled for double differential detection and positioned symmetrically to provide quantities for the double differential detection in a phase shift. If the sensor deforms, due to a specifically symmetric positioning of the first and second means, the effect of the displacement is at least partly eliminated.

Claims

1. A sensor structure matrix, comprising four sensor cells with a planar structure, wherein

each sensor cell includes capacitive detection combs and a frame that extends around the detection combs in a common plane, moving electrodes of the detection combs being coupled to move with the frame;

said sensor cells are arranged into the common plane to detect acceleration components in the common plane,

a pair of sensor cells is arranged for detection in a first in-plane direction;

another pair of sensor cells is arranged for detection in a second in-plane direction, wherein the second in-plane direction is perpendicular to the first direction; and

the pairs of sensor cells are positioned to provide compensating symmetry in the common plane of the sensor structure matrix.

2. A sensor structure matrix of claim 1, wherein also each of the sensor cells is implemented with internal compensating symmetry.

3. A sensor structure matrix of claim 1, wherein the sensor cells are implemented without internal compensating symmetry.

4. A sensor structure matrix of claim 1, wherein said sensor cells are arranged into a two-by-two matrix, in which sensor cells of each pair of sensor cells occupy crosswise positions.

5. A sensor cell for mono-axial detection, including:

at least four capacitive detection combs in a common plane, the detection combs including static electrodes and moving electrodes;

a frame that extends around the detection combs in the common plane;

an anchor structure;

a spring that suspends the frame from the anchor structure and enables linear motion of the frame in the common plane;

wherein

the moving electrodes of the at least four detection combs are coupled to move with the frame;

the four detection combs are disposed into structural symmetry in respect of a first symmetry axis that is parallel to the linear motion of the frame and in respect of a second symmetry axis that is perpendicular to the first symmetry axis;

the four detection combs are arranged in pairs into internal compensating symmetry in which detection combs of each pair occupy crosswise positions in respect of the first symmetry axis and the second symmetry axis, and in which displacement of the frame in one direction increases capacitance in a first pair of detection combs, and decreases capacitance in a second pair of detection combs;

output signal of the sensor cell corresponds double differentially with capacitances created with the first pair of detection combs and the second pair of detection combs.

6. A sensor cell of claim 5, wherein the first pair of detection combs is biased with a positive voltage and the second pair of detection combs is biased with a negative voltage.

7. A sensor cell of claim 5, wherein a double differential output signal of the sensor cell is a sum of capacitances of the first pair of detection combs subtracted from a sum of the second pair of detection combs.