Inertial sensor

• US 9,958,472 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2015
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kamada, Yuudai, Isobe, Atsushi, Sakuma, Noriyuki, Oshima, Takashi, Furubayashi, Yuki
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAPMAN JR, JOHN E
• Application Number:
  US14/822,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20160091524A1
• Time in Patent Office: 995 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0235 Accelerometers
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2203/0109 Bridges
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 3/0086 Electrical characteristics, e.g. reducing driving voltage, improving resistance to peak voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/125 by capacitive pick-up
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/0831 the mass being of the paddle type having the pivot axis between the longitudinal ends of the mass, e.g. see-saw configuration
• 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

Abstract

A low-noise and high-sensitivity inertial sensor is provided.

On the assumption that a movable portion VU1 and a movable portion VU2 are formed in the same SOI layer, the movable portion VU1 and the movable portion VU2 are mechanically connected to each other by a mechanical coupling portion MCU even while these movable portions are electrically isolated from each other. Thereby, according to a sensor element SE in the invention, it is possible to further suppress a shift between the capacitance of a MEMS capacitor 1 and the capacitance of a MEMS capacitor 2.

Claims

1. An inertial sensor comprising:

a mass body which is displaceable in a first direction,

wherein the mass body includes

a first movable portion;

a second movable portion which is electrically isolated from the first movable portion; and

a mechanical coupling portion that mechanically connects the first movable portion and the second movable portion,

wherein the inertial sensor includes

a first fixed electrode which is disposed so as to be opposite to the first movable portion,

a second fixed electrode which is disposed so as to be opposite to the first movable portion,

a third fixed electrode which is disposed so as to be opposite to the second movable portion, and

a fourth fixed electrode which is disposed so as to be opposite to the second movable portion,

wherein a first capacitor is formed by the first movable portion and the first fixed electrode, a second capacitor is formed by the first movable portion and the second fixed electrode, a third capacitor is formed by the second movable portion and the third fixed electrode, and a fourth capacitor is formed by the second movable portion and the fourth fixed electrode,

wherein when the mass body is displaced in the first direction, capacitance of one capacitor out of the first capacitor and the second capacitor increases, whereas capacitance of the other capacitor decreases, and capacitance of one capacitor out of the third capacitor and the fourth capacitor increases, whereas capacitance of the other capacitor decreases, and

wherein one of a left side and a right side of the first movable portion has a plurality of etched cutout portions in one of two conductive layers which constitute said first movable portion, such that a mass of the first movable portion on the left side and a mass of the first movable portion on the right side are different from each other.

2. The inertial sensor according to claim 1, wherein the mechanical coupling portion mechanically connects the first movable portion and the second movable portion which are isolated from each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

3. The inertial sensor according to claim 1, wherein

a capacitance change of the first capacitor occurs due to a change in an inter-electrode distance between the first movable portion and the first fixed electrode which is caused by displacement of the first movable portion in the first direction,

a capacitance change of the second capacitor occurs due to a change in an inter-electrode distance between the first movable portion and the second fixed electrode which is caused by the displacement of the first movable portion in the first direction,

a capacitance change of the third capacitor occurs due to a change in an inter-electrode distance between the second movable portion and the third fixed electrode which is caused by displacement of the second movable portion in the first direction, and

a capacitance change of the fourth capacitor occurs due to a change in an inter-electrode distance between the second movable portion and the fourth fixed electrode which is caused by the displacement of the second movable portion in the first direction.

4. The inertial sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first movable portion is connected to a first output portion through a first beam, and

the second movable portion is connected to a second output portion through a second beam.

5. The inertial sensor according to claim 4, wherein

the first output portion is disposed at a central portion of the first movable portion when seen in a plan view,

the second output portion is disposed at a central portion of the second movable portion when seen in a plan view, and

a mass of the second movable portion on a left side and a mass of the second movable portion on a right side are different from each other.