Physical quantity sensor element, physical quantity sensor, electronic equipment, and movable body

• US 9,939,269 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2015
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Columbia Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Furuhata, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAPMAN JR, JOHN E
• Application Number:
  US14/844,049
• Publication Number:
  US 20160069684A1
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/574 the devices having two sensing masses in anti-phase motion

Abstract

A physical quantity sensor element of the invention is formed into a plane-shape along an XY plane, and is provided with two driving portions which vibrate in a Z-axis direction, two detecting portions, four beam portions which connect one driving portion and one detecting portion, four beam portions which connect the other detecting portion and the other driving portion, and a coupling portion of which one end is connected to a portion in one of the driving portion and the other end is connected to a portion in the other diving portion in which the each of the deriving portions includes a beam portion which is connected to the end portion of the coupling portion and is deformable so as to reduce a change of a posture of each of the driving portions with respect to an XY plane.

Claims

1. A physical quantity sensor element comprising:

a first mass and a second mass which are formed into a plane-shape along a reference surface and vibrate in a direction along a normal line of the reference surface;

a substrate which is disposed along the reference surface;

a first anchor and a second anchor which are fixed onto the substrate;

a first support;

a first beam for connecting the first mass and the first support with each other;

a second support;

a second beam for connecting the second mass and the second support with each other;

a third beam for connecting the first mass and the first support with each other;

a fourth beam for connecting the second mass and the second support with each other;

a coupling portion of which one end is connected to a portion in the first mass, and the other end is connected to a portion in the second mass,

a fifth beam which connects the first anchor and the first support;

a sixth beam which connects the second anchor and the second support;

a first electrode which is provided at a position overlapping the first mass in planar view seen from a direction along the normal line of the reference surface; and

a second electrode which is provided at a position overlapping the second mass in planar view seen from a direction along the normal line of the reference surface,

wherein the first mass is connected to the one end of the coupling portion, and includes a first easily deformable portion which is deformable so as to reduce a change of a posture of the first mass with respect to the reference surface,

wherein the second mass is connected to the other end of the coupling portion, and includes a second easily deformable portion which is deformable so as to reduce a change of a posture of the second mass with respect to the reference surface,

wherein the coupling portion extends within a portion of the first mass on the one end and extends within a portion of the second mass on the other end,

wherein the first beam is disposed on a first side of the first mass and the third beam is disposed on a second side of the first mass opposing to the first side, and the portion of the first mass in which the coupling portion extends is disposed on a side different than the first side and the second side, and

wherein the second beam is disposed on a third side of the second mass, and the fourth beam is disposed on a fourth side of the second mass opposing to the third side, and the portion of the second mass in which the coupling portion extends is disposed on a side different than the third side and the fourth side.

2. The physical quantity sensor element according to claim 1,

wherein the first easily deformable portion and the second easily deformable portion extend along a direction intersecting with a direction in which the first mass and the second mass are arranged in planar view seen from a direction along the normal line of the reference surface.

3. The physical quantity sensor element according to claim 2,

wherein in planar view seen from a direction along the normal line of the reference surface, a width of each of the first easily deformable portion and the second easily deformable portion is smaller than a width of the coupling portion.

4. The physical quantity sensor element according to claim 1,

wherein the first mass includes a first gap in which is disposed the first easily deformable portion, and

wherein the second mass includes a second gap in which is disposed the second easily deformable portion.

5. The physical quantity sensor element according to claim 1, further comprising:

a beam support which is disposed between the first mass and the second mass, and extends along a direction intersecting with a direction in which the first mass and the second mass are arranged in planar view seen from a direction along the normal line of the reference surface,

wherein a middle portion of the coupling portion is supported by the beam support.

6. The physical quantity sensor element according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first detecting electrode which is fixed onto the substrate and detects vibration in a direction along the reference surface of the first support; and

a second detecting electrode which is fixed onto the substrate and detects vibration in a direction along the reference surface of the second support.

7. The physical quantity sensor element according to claim 1,

wherein the first easily deformable portion is disposed at a position including a center portion of the first mass in planar view seen from a direction along the normal line of the reference surface, and

wherein the second easily deformable portion is disposed at a position including a center portion of the second mass in planar view seen from a direction along the normal line of the reference surface.

8. A physical quantity sensor comprising:

the physical quantity sensor element according to claim 1; and

a package which stores the physical quantity sensor element.

9. A physical quantity sensor element comprising:

a first mass and a second mass which are formed into a plane-shape along a reference surface and vibrate in a direction along a normal line of the reference surface;

a substrate which is disposed along the reference surface;

a first anchor and a second anchor which are fixed onto the substrate;

a first support;

a first beam for connecting the first mass and the first support;

a second support;

a second beam for connecting the second mass and the second support;

a third beam for connecting the first mass and the first support;

a fourth beam for connecting the second mass and the second support;

a coupler of which a first end is connected to the first mass, and a second end is connected to the second mass;

a seventh beam which connects the first anchor and the first support;

a eighth beam which connects the second anchor and the second support;

a first electrode which is provided at a position overlapping the first mass in planar view seen from a direction along the normal line of the reference surface; and

a second electrode which is provided at a position overlapping the second mass in planar view seen from a direction along the normal line of the reference surface,

wherein the first mass is connected to the first end of the coupler, and includes a fifth beam which extends in a direction intersecting with a direction in which the coupler extends,

wherein the second mass is connected to the second end of the coupler, and includes a sixth beam which extends in a direction intersecting with a direction in which the coupler extends,

wherein the coupler extends within a portion of the first mass on the first end and extends within a portion of the second mass on the second end,

wherein the first beam is disposed on a first side of the first mass and the third beam is disposed on a second side of the first mass opposing to the first side, and the portion of the first mass in which the coupler extends is disposed on a side different than the first side and the second side, and

wherein the second beam is disposed on a third side of the second mass, and the fourth beam is disposed on a fourth side of the second mass opposing the third side, and the portion of the second mass in which the coupler extends is disposed on a side different than the third side and the fourth side.

10. The physical quantity sensor element according to claim 9,

wherein in planar view seen from the direction along the normal line of the reference surface, a width of each of the fifth beam and the sixth beam is smaller than a width of the coupler.

11. The physical quantity sensor element according to claim 9,

wherein the first mass includes a first gap in which is disposed the fifth beam, and

wherein the second mass includes a second gap in which is disposed the sixth beam.

12. The physical quantity sensor element according to claim 9, further comprising:

a support beam which is disposed between the first mass and the second mass, and extends along a direction intersecting with a direction in which the first mass and the second mass are arranged in planar view seen from a direction along the normal line of the reference surface,

wherein a middle portion of the coupler is supported by the support beam.

13. The physical quantity sensor element according to claim 9, further comprising:

a first detecting electrode which is fixed onto the substrate and detects vibration in a direction along the reference surface of the first support; and

a second detecting electrode which is fixed onto the substrate and detects vibration in a direction along the reference surface of the second support.

14. The physical quantity sensor element according to claim 9,

wherein the seventh beam is disposed at a position including a center portion of the first mass in planar view seen from a direction along the normal line of the reference surface, and

wherein the eighth beam is disposed at a position including a center portion of the second mass in planar view seen from a direction along the normal line of the reference surface.

15. A physical quantity sensor comprising:

the physical quantity sensor element according to claim 9; and

a package which stores the physical quantity sensor element.