Inertial sensor

• US 9,810,711 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2014
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Fukuzawa, Hideaki, Hara, Michiko, Fuji, Yoshihiko, Higashi, Yoshihiro, Kaji, Shiori, Hori, Akio, Nagata, Tomohiko, Yuzawa, Akiko, Kikitsu, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHMITT, BENJAMIN R
• Application Number:
  US14/460,450
• Publication Number:
  US 20150082886A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,180 Days
• Field of Search: 7351416, 7351431
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0802 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/105 by magnetically sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/0805 being provided with a particular type of spring-mass-system for defining the displacement of a seismic mass due to an external acceleration

Abstract

An inertial sensor includes a base portion, a weight portion, a connection portion, and a first sensing element unit. The connection portion connects the weight portion and the base portion and is capable of being deformed in accordance with a change in relative position of the weight portion with respect to the position of the base portion. The first sensing element unit is provided on a first portion of the connection portion and includes a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer, and a nonmagnetic first intermediate layer. The nonmagnetic first intermediate layer is provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer.

Claims

1. An inertial sensor comprising:

a base portion;

a weight portion;

a connection portion connecting the weight portion and the base portion, the connection portion being configured to be deformed in accordance with a change in a relative position of the weight portion with respect to a position of the base portion; and

a first sensing element unit provided on a first portion of the connection portion and including a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer, and a nonmagnetic first intermediate layer, the nonmagnetic first intermediate layer being provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer;

a second sensing element unit including a third magnetic layer, a fourth magnetic layer, and a nonmagnetic second intermediate layer, the nonmagnetic second intermediate layer being provided between the third magnetic layer and the fourth magnetic layer,

the connection portion further including a second portion, the second sensing element unit being provided on the second portion, and

a first direction being at an angle with respect to a second direction, the angle being greater than 0° and

less than 90°

, or greater than 90° and

less than 180°

, the first direction being from a position of a centroid of the weight portion in a first plane toward a position of the first portion in the first plane, the plane including a third direction from the base portion toward the weight portion and a fourth direction from the first portion toward the second portion, the second direction being from the position of the centroid of the weight portion in the plane toward a position of the second portion in the plane,

wherein a length of the first portion of the connection portion along a fifth direction from the first magnetic layer toward the second magnetic layer is shorter than a length of the weight portion along the fifth direction,

the first magnetic layer extends along a first extending direction crossing the fifth direction and a length of the first magnetic layer in the first extending direction is longer than a length of the first magnetic layer in a sixth direction crossing the fifth direction and crossing the first extending direction,

the third magnetic layer extends along a third extending direction crossing a seventh direction from the third magnetic layer toward the fourth magnetic layer and a length of the third magnetic layer in the third extending direction is longer than a length of the third magnetic layer in a direction crossing the seventh direction and crossing the third extending direction,

the first extending direction is inclined to the first direction,

the third extending direction is inclined to the second direction, and

a difference between a first angle from the first direction to the first extending direction and a second angle from the second direction to the third extending direction is 10 degrees or less.

2. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the first magnetic layer includes iron and has an amorphous structure.

3. The sensor according to claim 2, wherein the at least the part includes Boron.

4. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein

a magnetization of the first magnetic layer is in a first magnetization direction and a magnetization of the second magnetic layer is in a second magnetization direction when the relative position of the weight portion with respect to the position of the base portion is in a first state, and

the magnetization of the first magnetic layer is in a direction different from the first magnetization direction and the magnetization of the second magnetic layer is in a direction different from the second magnetization direction when the relative position of the weight portion with respect to the position of the base portion is in a second state different from the first state.

5. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein

a direction of a magnetization of the second magnetic layer crosses a direction of a magnetization of the fourth magnetic layer,

a magnetization of the first magnetic layer is in a first magnetization direction when the relative position of the weight portion with respect to the position of the base portion is in a first state, and

the magnetization of the first magnetic layer is in a direction different from the first magnetization direction when the relative position of the weight portion with respect to the position of the base portion is in a second state different from the first state.

6. The sensor according to claim 5, wherein

an angle between the first direction and the second direction is not less than 70 degrees and not more than 110 degrees and

an angle between a direction of the magnetization of the second magnetic layer and a direction of the magnetization of the fourth magnetic layer is not less than 70 degrees and not more than 110 degrees.

7. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the second magnetic layer extends along a second extending direction crossing the first stacking direction and a length of the second magnetic layer in the second extending direction is longer than a length of the second magnetic layer in a direction crossing the first stacking direction and crossing the second extending direction,

the fourth magnetic layer extends along a fourth extending direction crossing the second stacking direction and a length of the fourth magnetic layer in the fourth extending direction is longer than a length of the fourth magnetic layer in a direction crossing the second stacking direction and crossing the fourth extending direction,

the second extending direction runs along the first extending direction, and

the fourth extending direction runs along the third extending direction.

8. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the second magnetic layer extends along a second extending direction crossing the first stacking direction and a length of the second magnetic layer in the second extending direction is longer than a length of the second magnetic layer in a direction crossing the first stacking direction and crossing the second extending direction,

the fourth magnetic layer extends along a fourth extending direction crossing the second stacking direction and a length of the fourth magnetic layer in the fourth extending direction is longer than a length of the fourth magnetic layer in a direction crossing the second stacking direction and crossing the fourth extending direction,

the second extending direction crosses the first extending direction, and

the fourth extending direction crosses the third extending direction.

9. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the length of the first magnetic layer in the first extending direction is not less than 1.5 times and not more than 3 times the length of the first magnetic layer in the direction crossing the first stacking direction and crossing the first extending direction.

10. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the length of the first magnetic layer in the first extending direction is not less than 0.5 micrometers and not more than 60 micrometers.

11. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein

a length of the second portion along the fifth direction is shorter than the length of the weight portion along the fifth direction.

12. The sensor according to claim 11, wherein

the first portion and the second portion are separated from each other,

a length of the first portion along an eighth direction parallel to the plane and perpendicular to the first direction is shorter than a length of the weight portion along the eighth direction, and

a length of the second portion in a tenth direction parallel to the plane and perpendicular to the second direction is shorter than a length of the weight portion in the tenth direction.

13. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein a length of the connection portion in a direction perpendicular to a direction from the base portion toward the weight portion is shorter than a length of the weight portion in the perpendicular direction.

14. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the first sensing element unit further includes a first electrode and a second electrode,

the first magnetic layer is disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, and

the second magnetic layer is disposed between the first magnetic layer and the first electrode.

15. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first sensing element unit is provided in a plurality on the first portion and at least two of the plurality of first sensing element units are electrically connected in series or in parallel.

16. The sensor according to claim 15, wherein a voltage of not less than 1 volt and not more than 10 volts is applied between terminals of ends of the first sensing element units electrically connected in series.

17. The sensor according to claim 15, wherein a number of the first sensing element units electrically connected in series is not less than 7 and not more than 200.