Mode-matched single proof-mass dual-axis gyroscope and method of fabrication

• US 9,726,489 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2011
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Georgia Tech Research Corporation (University System of Georgia)
• Original Assignee: Georgia Tech Research Corporation (University System of Georgia)
• Inventors: Ayazi, Farrokh, Sung, Wang-kyung, Zaman, Mohammad
• Primary Examiner(s): Lyons, Michael A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nath, Suman K
• Application Number:
  US13/991,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20130283911A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,073 Days
• Field of Search: 7350402, 7350414, 7350416
• 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 19/5684 the devices involving a micromechanical structure
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 25/00 Manufacturing, calibrating, cleaning, or repairing instruments or devices referred to in the other groups of this subclass testing, calibrating or compensating compasses G01C17/38
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

A single proof-mass, dual-axis gyroscope apparatus comprises a resonating body member and first and second electrodes each capacitively coupled to the resonating body member by a respective lateral capacitive air gap and a vertical capacitive air gap. The width of one of the lateral capacitive air gap of the first electrode is substantially smaller than the vertical capacitive air gap. The width of one of the vertical capacitive air gap of the second electrode is substantially smaller than the lateral capacitive air gap. The apparatus claimed can address the process variation such as vertical and lateral dimension variation by electrostatic tuning method.

Claims

1. A single proof-mass, dual-axis gyroscope apparatus comprising:

a resonating body member having a top surface and a side surface substantially perpendicular to the top surface; and

first and second electrodes capacitively coupled to the resonating body member, each electrode having a first portion disposed substantially parallel to the body member side surface and spaced therefrom by a respective lateral capacitive dielectric gap and a second portion disposed substantially parallel to the body member top surface and spaced therefrom by a respective vertical capacitive dielectric gap,

wherein one of the lateral capacitive dielectric gap or the vertical capacitive dielectric gap of the first electrode is substantially smaller than the corresponding dielectric gap of the second electrode when the resonating body member is in a rest position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the resonating body member is connected to a central structure.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the resonating body member is supported by at least one support member connecting the resonating body member to the central structure.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the resonating body member is an annulus.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the resonating body member is a polygon.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first electrode lateral capacitive dielectric gap is substantially smaller than the first electrode vertical capacitive dielectric gap, and wherein the second electrode vertical capacitive dielectric gap is substantially smaller than the second electrode lateral capacitive dielectric gap.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the lateral capacitive dielectric gaps and the vertical capacitive dielectric gaps is made from a non-conductive material.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first electrode is a drive electrode and the second electrode is a sense electrode.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to utilize an in-plane drive mode, a first orthogonal out-of-plane sense mode orthogonal to the in-plane drive mode, and a second orthogonal out-of-plane sense mode orthogonal to the first orthogonal out-of-plane sense mode and the in-plane drive mode.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the second electrode comprises four sense electrodes defined on top of anti-nodes of out-of-plane modes.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the in-plane drive mode has anti-nodes aligned with the anti-nodes of out-of-plane modes.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the anti-nodes of a first out-of-plane mode are aligned with nodes of a second out-of-plane mode and the anti-nodes of the second out-of-plane mode are aligned with the nodes of the first out-of-plane mode.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein a frequency of the in-plane drive mode, a frequency of a first orthogonal out-of-plane sense mode, and a frequency of a second orthogonal out-of-plane sense are mode-matched.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the resonating body is operated at a mode-matched condition in which the resonance frequencies for an in-plane drive mode and two out-of-plane sense modes are located at a specific frequency.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the resonating body is operated at a near mode-matched condition in which the resonance frequencies for an in-plane drive mode and two out-of-plane sense modes are located in a bandwidth range of approximately 3 dB within a specific frequency range of operation.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising an in-plane frequency tuning electrode located at an anti-node of the in-plane drive mode.

17. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising four out-of-plane frequency tuning electrodes separated from one another by approximately 90 degrees disposed about a periphery of the resonating body member.

18. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first electrode lateral capacitive dielectric gap is approximately 200 nm.

19. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the second electro Previously presented de lateral capacitive dielectric gap is approximately 300 nm.

20. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein each of the first electrode vertical capacitive dielectric gap and the second electrode lateral capacitive dielectric gap is approximately 5 μ

m.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising quadrature cancellation electrodes.

22. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the resonating body member is made from an anisotropic substrate.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the first electrode is located in at least one of a <

100> and

a <

110>

direction of the anisotropic substrate.

24. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the resonating body member is made from an isotropic substrate.

25. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first electrode configured to actuate the resonating body is located in at least one of a <

100> and

a <

110>

direction of the isotropic substrate when utilized by a <

100>

silicon substrate.

26. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the resonating body comprises at least one piezoelectric layer configured to excite and sense resonance modes of the resonating body.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the at least one piezoelectric layer is attached to the top surface of at least one of the resonating body and support structures supporting the resonating body.

28. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one frequency tuning electrode, the frequency tuning electrode configured to substantially mode-match the resonating body member.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the frequency tuning electrode is separated from an anti-node of an in-plane driving mode of the resonating body member by a respective capacitive dielectric gap.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the frequency tuning electrode is separated from an anti-node of an out-of-plane mode of the resonating body by a respective capacitive dielectric gap.

31. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the capacitive dielectric gaps comprise air.

32. A single proof-mass dual-axis gyroscope apparatus comprising:

a resonating body member; and

a plurality of electrodes each capacitively coupled to, and spaced from, the resonating body member by a lateral capacitive dielectric gap and a vertical capacitive dielectric gap arranged substantially perpendicular to the lateral capacitive dielectric gap,

wherein a width of at least one of the dielectric gaps capacitively coupling a first electrode of the plurality of electrodes to the resonating body member is substantially smaller than a corresponding dielectric gap capacitively coupling a second electrode of the plurality of electrodes to the resonating body member when the resonating body member is in a rest position.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the lateral capacitive dielectric gap of one of said plurality of electrodes is substantially smaller than the lateral capacitive dielectric gap of another one of said plurality of electrodes.

34. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the vertical capacitive dielectric gap of one of said plurality of electrodes is substantially smaller than the vertical capacitive dielectric gap of another one of said plurality of electrodes.

35. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the vertical capacitive dielectric gap of one of said plurality of electrodes is substantially dissimilar to the vertical capacitive dielectric gap of another one of said plurality of electrodes.

36. A method of fabricating a single proof-mass dual-axis gyroscope apparatus comprising:

A) forming a resonating body member having a top surface and a side surface substantially perpendicular to the top surface;

B) forming a side electrode separated from the side surface of the resonating body member by a first lateral capacitive dielectric gap substantially smaller than a first vertical capacitive dielectric gap separating the side electrode from the top surface of the resonating body member;

C) forming a top electrode separated from the top surface of the resonating body member by a second vertical capacitive dielectric gap substantially smaller than a second lateral capacitive dielectric gap separating the top electrode from the side surface of the resonating body member; and

D) forming the side and top electrodes such that the first lateral capacitive dielectric gap is substantially smaller than the second lateral capacitive dielectric gap when the resonating body member is in a rest position.

37. A gyroscope apparatus comprising:

a resonating body member having a top surface and a side surface substantially perpendicular to the top surface;

a first electrode, capacitively coupled to the resonating body member, having a first portion disposed substantially parallel to the resonating body member side surface and spaced therefrom by a respective first lateral capacitive dielectric gap and a second portion disposed substantially parallel to the resonating body member top surface and spaced therefrom by a respective first vertical capacitive dielectric gap; and

a second electrode, capacitively coupled to the resonating body member, having a first portion disposed substantially parallel to the resonating body member side surface and spaced therefrom by a respective second lateral capacitive dielectric gap and a second portion disposed substantially parallel to the resonating body member top surface and spaced therefrom by a respective second vertical capacitive dielectric gap,

wherein one of the first lateral or vertical capacitive dielectric gaps of the first electrode is substantially smaller than the corresponding gap of the second electrode when the resonating body member is in a rest position.