All-silicon electrode capacitive transducer on a glass substrate

• US 9,837,935 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2013
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Johnson, Burgess R., Supino, Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Caputo, Lisa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Tran M
• Application Number:
  US14/066,168
• Publication Number:
  US 20150115770A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,498 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/202 Conductive
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2310/0418 other than water
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/16 Capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/02 characterised by a sequence of laminating steps, e.g. by adding new layers at consecutive laminating stations
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/10 Removing layers, or parts of layers, mechanically or chemically
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 3/0086 Electrical characteristics, e.g. reducing driving voltage, improving resistance to peak voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 1/08 with conductive charge carrier, i.e. capacitor machines

Abstract

An all-silicon electrode capacitive transducer comprising: a movable silicon microstructure coupled to a glass substrate, the movable silicon microstructure having a movable silicon electrode, the glass substrate having a top surface and at least one recess, the movable silicon electrode having a first flat surface parallel to a plane of the top surface of the glass substrate, the movable silicon electrode having a first electronic work function; and a stationary silicon electrode coupled to a glass substrate, the stationary silicon electrode located adjacent to the movable silicon electrode, the stationary silicon electrode configured to sense or actuate displacement of the movable silicon microstructure, wherein the stationary silicon electrode has a second flat surface parallel to the first flat surface, the stationary silicon electrode having a second electronic work function equal to the first electronic work function.

Claims

1. A capacitive transducer comprising:

a movable silicon microstructure coupled to a glass substrate, the movable silicon microstructure having a movable silicon electrode, the glass substrate having a top surface with at least one recess that includes a first recess portion and a second recess portion, the first recess portion having a first depth extending from the movable silicon microstructure to a first surface in the first recess portion, the second recess portion having a second depth that is greater than the first depth, the second depth extending from the movable silicon electrode to a second surface in the second recess portion, the movable silicon electrode having a first flat surface parallel to a plane of the top surface of the glass substrate, the movable silicon electrode having a first electronic work function; and

a stationary silicon electrode bonded to the first surface in the first recess portion, the stationary silicon electrode located under the movable silicon electrode, the stationary silicon electrode configured to sense or actuate displacement of the movable silicon microstructure, wherein the stationary silicon electrode has a second flat surface parallel to the first flat surface, the stationary silicon electrode having a second electronic work function equal to the first electronic work function, the stationary silicon electrode having an overhang that extends beyond the first surface in the first recess portion such that the overhang is located between the second surface of the second recess portion and the movable silicon microstructure.

2. The capacitive transducer of claim 1, wherein the movable silicon microstructure is coupled to the glass substrate through silicon anchors, wherein the silicon anchors are bonded to the top surface of the glass substrate, wherein the movable silicon microstructure is coupled to the silicon anchors by flexible silicon suspensions.

3. The capacitive transducer of claim 1, wherein the overhang shields the movable silicon microstructure from electric field lines from at least one electrical lead on the second surface in the second recess portion.

4. The capacitive transducer of claim 1, wherein the stationary silicon electrode and movable silicon electrode are doped silicon electrodes, wherein the electrical work function of the stationary silicon electrode and movable silicon electrode are matched to mitigate a contact potential difference between the stationary silicon electrode and movable silicon electrode.

5. The capacitive transducer of claim 1, wherein the capacitive transducer is a horizontal capacitive transducer and further comprises an actuating electrode configured to actuate horizontal motion of the movable silicon electrode, wherein the stationary silicon electrode is configured to perform at least one of:

electrically shielding the movable silicon electrode from electric field lines from at least one electrical lead on the second surface in the second recess portion;

preventing vertical forces on the movable silicon microstructure since the second electronic work function is equal to the first electronic work function; and

preventing induced electric current caused by vertical motion of the movable silicon microstructure.

6. The capacitive transducer of claim 1, wherein the capacitive transducer is a vertical capacitive transducer configured to sense or to actuate vertical motion of the movable silicon electrode, wherein the stationary silicon electrode is further configured to electrically shield the movable silicon electrode from electric field lines from at least one electrical lead on the second surface in the second recess portion.

7. The capacitive transducer of claim 1, further comprising a second glass substrate above the movable silicon microstructure and coupled to the movable silicon microstructure, the second glass substrate having at least one recess that includes a third recess portion and a fourth recess portion, the third recess portion having a third depth extending from the movable silicon microstructure to a third surface in the third recess portion, the fourth recess portion having a fourth depth that is greater than the third depth, the fourth depth extending from the movable silicon electrode to a fourth surface in the fourth recess portion, and at least one stationary silicon electrode bonded to the third surface in the third recess portion, the at least one stationary silicon electrode bonded to the third surface configured to electrically shield the movable silicon electrode from electric field lines from at least one electrical lead on the fourth surface in the fourth recess portion.

8. A system for a capacitive transducer, comprising:

an all-silicon electrode capacitive transducer comprising;

a movable silicon microstructure coupled to a glass substrate, the movable silicon microstructure having a movable silicon electrode, the glass substrate having a top surface with at least one recess that includes a first recess portion and a second recess portion, the first recess portion having a first depth extending from the movable silicon microstructure to a first surface in the first recess portion, the second recess portion having a second depth that is greater than the first depth, the second depth extending from the movable silicon electrode to a second surface in the second recess portion, the movable silicon electrode having a first flat surface parallel to a plane of the top surface of the glass substrate, the movable silicon electrode having a first electronic work function; and

a stationary silicon electrode bonded to the first surface in the first recess portion, the stationary silicon electrode located under the movable silicon electrode, the stationary silicon electrode configured to sense or actuate displacement of the movable silicon microstructure, wherein the stationary silicon electrode has a second flat surface parallel to the first flat surface, the stationary silicon electrode having a second electronic work function equal to the first electronic work function, the stationary silicon electrode having a first overhang that extends beyond the first surface in the first recess portion such that the first overhang is located between the second surface of the second recess portion and the movable silicon microstructure;

a measurement unit coupled to the all-silicon electrode capacitive transducer, the measurement unit configured to read a signal from the all-silicon electrode capacitive transducer; and

an interface device coupled to the measurement unit and configured to indicate a result indicative of the signal from the all-silicon electrode capacitive transducer.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the movable silicon microstructure is coupled to the top surface of the glass substrate.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first overhang shields the movable silicon microstructure from electric field lines from at least one electrical lead on the second surface in the second recess portion.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the stationary silicon electrode and movable silicon electrode are doped silicon electrodes, wherein the electrical work function of the stationary silicon electrode and movable silicon electrode are matched to mitigate a contact potential difference between the stationary silicon electrode and movable silicon electrode.

12. The system of claim 8, further comprising a second glass substrate above the movable silicon microstructure and coupled to the movable silicon microstructure, the second glass substrate having at least one recess that includes a third recess portion and a fourth recess portion, the third recess portion having a third depth extending from the movable silicon microstructure to a third surface in the third recess portion, the fourth recess portion having a fourth depth that is greater than the third depth, the fourth depth extending from the movable silicon electrode to a fourth surface in the fourth recess portion, and at least one stationary silicon electrode bonded to the third surface in the third recess portion.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one stationary silicon electrode bonded to the third surface in the third recess portion has a second overhang that extends beyond the third surface in the third recess portion such that the second overhang is located between the fourth surface of the fourth recess portion and the movable silicon microstructure, the second overhang configured to electrically shield the movable silicon electrode from electric field lines from at least one electrical lead on the fourth surface in the fourth recess portion.