Parallel plate capacitor and acceleration sensor comprising same

• US 9,903,884 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2013
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CSMC Technologies FAB1 Company Limited (CSMC Manufacturing Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: CSMC Technologies FAB1 Company Limited (CSMC Manufacturing Company Limited)
• Inventors: Guo, Meihan, Zhang, Xinwei, Xia, Changfeng, Su, Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): Gray, Francis
• Application Number:
  US14/435,925
• Publication Number:
  US 20150233965A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,642 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 7/02 containing distinct electrical or optical devices of particular relevance for their function, e.g. microelectro-mechanical systems [MEMS] B81B7/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/125 by capacitive pick-up
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/0837 the mass being suspended so as to only allow movement perpendicular to the plane of the substrate, i.e. z-axis sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 5/16 using variation of distance between electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 1/08 with conductive charge carrier, i.e. capacitor machines

Abstract

A parallel plate capacitor includes a first polar plate (10), and a second polar plate disposed opposite to the first polar plate (10). The parallel plate capacitor further includes at least a pair of sensitive units disposed on a substrate forming the first polar plate (10); the sensitive units includes sensitive elements (21a, 21b, 22a, 22b) and element connecting arms (23a, 23b, 24a, 24b) connecting the sensitive elements (21a, 21b, 22a, 22b) to the first polar plate (10). The parallel plate capacitor further includes anchoring bases (30, 31, 32, 33) disposed on a substrate where the second polar plate is located; the anchoring bases (30, 31, 32, 33) are connected to the element connecting arms (23a, 23b, 24a, 24b) via cantilever beams (30a, 30b, 31a, 31b, 32a, 32b, 33a, 33b); each element connecting arm (23a, 23b, 24a, 24b) is connected to at least two anchoring bases (30, 31, 32, 33), which are symmetric with respect to the element connecting arm. The parallel plate capacitor is more likely to be influenced by an external factor, thus being more likely to experience capacitance change. An acceleration sensor including the parallel plate capacitor is also provided.

Claims

1. A parallel plate capacitor, comprising a first polar plate, and a second polar plate disposed opposite to the first polar plate, wherein the parallel plate capacitor comprises:

at least a pair of sensitive units disposed on a first substrate forming the first polar plate, wherein each sensitive unit comprises a sensitive element and an element connecting arm connecting the sensitive element to the first polar plate;

anchoring bases disposed on a second substrate where the second polar plate is located, wherein each anchoring base is connected to a respective element connecting arm via a cantilever beam;

wherein each element connecting arm is connected to at least two anchoring bases, which are symmetric with respect to the element connecting arm.

2. The parallel plate capacitor according to claim 1, wherein the sensitive element is a mass, the element connecting arm and the cantilever beam are both made of silicon, and the element connecting arm is thicker than the cantilever beam.

3. A parallel plate capacitor, comprising a first polar plate, and a second polar plate disposed opposite to the first polar plate, wherein the parallel plate capacitor comprises:

at least one sensitive unit disposed on a substrate forming the first polar plate, wherein the sensitive unit is surrounded by the first polar plate, and the sensitive unit comprises a sensitive element and an element connecting arm connecting the sensitive element to the first polar plate;

anchoring bases disposed on a second substrate where the second polar plate is located, wherein each anchoring base is connected to a respective element connecting arm via a cantilever beam;

wherein each element connecting arm is connected to at least two anchoring bases, which are symmetric with respect to the element connecting arm.

4. The parallel plate capacitor according to claim 3, wherein the sensitive element is a mass, the element connecting arm and the cantilever beam are both made of silicon, and the element connecting arm is thicker than the cantilever beam.

5. An acceleration sensor, comprising a parallel plate capacitor, wherein the parallel plate capacitor comprises a first polar plate, and a second polar plate disposed opposite to the first polar plate, the parallel plate capacitor further comprises:

at least a pair of sensitive units disposed on a substrate forming the first polar plate, wherein each sensitive unit comprises a sensitive element and an element connecting arm connecting the sensitive element to the first polar plate;

anchoring bases disposed on a second substrate where the second polar plate is located, wherein each anchoring base is connected to a respective element connecting arm via a cantilever beam;

wherein each element connecting arm is connected to at least two anchoring bases, which are symmetric with respect to the element connecting arm.

6. The acceleration sensor according to claim 5, wherein the sensitive element is a mass, the element connecting arm and the cantilever beam are both made of silicon, and the element connecting arm is thicker than the cantilever beam.

7. An acceleration sensor, comprising a parallel plate capacitor, wherein the parallel plate capacitor comprises a first polar plate, and a second polar plate disposed opposite to the first polar plate, the parallel plate capacitor further comprises:

at least one sensitive unit disposed on a first substrate forming the first polar plate, wherein the sensitive unit is surrounded by the first polar plate, and the sensitive unit comprises a sensitive element and an element connecting arm connecting the sensitive element to the first polar plate;

anchoring bases disposed on a second substrate where the second polar plate is located, wherein each anchoring base is connected to a respective element connecting arm via a cantilever beam;

wherein each element connecting arm is connected to at least two anchoring bases, which are symmetric with respect to the element connecting arm.

8. The acceleration sensor according to claim 7, wherein the sensitive element is a mass, the element connecting arm and the cantilever beam are both made of silicon, and the element connecting arm is thicker than the cantilever beam.