Acceleration sensor and process for the production thereof
First Claim
1. An acceleration sensor comprising:
- a first substrate formed of a silicon material which is used as a conductive material;
a second substrate provided on the lower side of said first substrate and electrically insulated from the first substrate;
said first substrate including;
a support beam having a mass portion forming capacitive electrodes for displacement in a parallel direction to a surface of said second substrate according to the degree of acceleration, a fixed portion for fixing said support beam to said second substrate and a support portion for intermediately supporting said mass portion to said fixed portion, an insulating groove extending through a thickness of said first substrate around the entire periphery of said support beam, and stationary blocks forming capacitive electrodes defined by said insulating groove on the outer sides of said support beam separately across said insulating groove and fixed to said second substrate; and
gap means forming a gap space in order to space said mass portion and said supporting portion from a surface of said second substrate; and
said second substrate being separated from said first substrate by an insulating layer which is at least provided on the lower side of said fixed portion and stationary blocks.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A single crystal silicon substrate (1) is bonded through an SiO2 film (9) to a single crystal silicon substrate (8), and the single crystal silicon substrate (1) is made into a thin film. A cantilever (13) is formed on the single crystal silicon substrate (1), and the thickness of the cantilever (13) in a direction parallel to the surface of the single crystal silicon substrate (1) is made smaller than the thickness of the cantilever in the direction of the depth of the single crystal silicon substrate (1), and movable in a direction parallel to the substrate surface. In addition, the surface of the cantilever (13) and the part of the single crystal silicon substrate (1), opposing the cantilever (13), are, respectively, coated with an SiO2 film (5), so that an electrode short circuit is prevented in a capacity-type sensor. In addition, a signal-processing circuit (10) is formed on the single crystal silicon substrate (1), so that signal processing is performed as the cantilever (13) moves.
39 Citations
37 Claims
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1. An acceleration sensor comprising:
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a first substrate formed of a silicon material which is used as a conductive material;
a second substrate provided on the lower side of said first substrate and electrically insulated from the first substrate;
said first substrate including;
a support beam having a mass portion forming capacitive electrodes for displacement in a parallel direction to a surface of said second substrate according to the degree of acceleration, a fixed portion for fixing said support beam to said second substrate and a support portion for intermediately supporting said mass portion to said fixed portion, an insulating groove extending through a thickness of said first substrate around the entire periphery of said support beam, and stationary blocks forming capacitive electrodes defined by said insulating groove on the outer sides of said support beam separately across said insulating groove and fixed to said second substrate; and
gap means forming a gap space in order to space said mass portion and said supporting portion from a surface of said second substrate; and
said second substrate being separated from said first substrate by an insulating layer which is at least provided on the lower side of said fixed portion and stationary blocks. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An acceleration sensor comprising:
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a substrate which is selected from the group consisting of an insulating material and oxidized semiconductor material;
a support beam which includes a mass portion forming a predetermined mass and first capacitive electrodes on side surfaces of said mass portion, a fixed portion for fixing said support beam to said substrate and a thin support portion for intermediately connecting between said mass portion and said fixed portion;
a pair of stationary blocks arranged on both sides of said support beam separately across an air gap and fixed to said substrate, said stationary blocks provided with second capacitive electrodes on the opposite sides of first capacitive electrodes of said mass portion;
gap means forming a gap space in order to space said mass portion and thin support portion from a surface of said substrate; and
said mass portion being displace in a parallel direction to the surface of said substrate according to the degree of acceleration and said support beam and stationary blocks formed of a silicon material which is used as a conductive material and electrically insulated from said substrate. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An acceleration sensor comprising:
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A. a first single crystalline silicon substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite said first surface;
B. a second single crystalline silicon substrate connected to a side of said first surface of said first single crystalline silicon substrate with an insulating layer interposed therebetween;
C. said first single crystalline silicon substrate including;
i. a movable beam defined by a trench which is disposed to surround said movable beam and extend from said second surface to said first surface, said movable beam being supported by said second single crystalline silicon substrate through said insulating layer to be displaceable in a direction parallel to said first surface of said first single crystalline silicon substrate, ii. a stationary block disposed to be spaced apart from said movable beam via said trench, facing said movable beam to form a pair of capacitive electrodes with said movable beam, and fixed to said second single crystalline silicon substrate; and
D. a signal-processing circuit element for carrying out a processing operation based on a change of a capacitance between said capacitive electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An acceleration sensor comprising:
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A. a first single crystalline silicon substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite said first surface;
B. a second single crystalline silicon substrate connected to a side of said first surface of said first single crystalline silicon substrate with an insulating layer interposed therebetween;
C. said first single crystalline silicon substrate being divided by a trench extending from said second surface to said first surface;
i. a movable beam portion surrounded by said trench, said movable beam portion being supported by said second single crystalline silicon substrate through said insulating layer to be displaceable in a direction parallel to said first surface of said first single crystalline silicon substrate, said movable beam portion having a movable electrode, ii. a stationary portion disposed to be spaced apart from said movable beam via said trench, having a stationary electrode which faces said movable beam via said trench to form a pair of capacitive electrodes with said movable electrode, and fixed to said second single crystalline silicon substrate; and
D. an insulator covering at least one of a surface of said movable electrode and a surface of said stationary electrode. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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22. A semiconductor dynamic amount sensor comprising:
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an insulating substrate having a surface;
a stationary portion and a movable portion provided on said surface of said insulating substrate and formed from a silicon layer by etching so as to be spaced apart from each other;
said stationary portion comprising a stationary electrode formed thereon;
said movable portion comprising, as a unit, a movable electrode facing said stationary electrode via a minor gap, a mass portion for displacing said movable electrode to come close and off said stationary electrode upon an external acceleration, said mass portion displacing in a direction parallel with said surface of said insulating substrate, and a support portion connected through a beam to said mass portion for displaceably supporting said mass portion and said movable portion on said insulating substrate;
wherein a peripheral portion surrounding said stationary portion and said movable portion at the periphery thereof is formed on said insulating substrate. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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23. A semiconductor dynamic amount sensor comprising:
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an insulating substrate;
a stationary portion and a movable portion provided on said insulating substrate and formed from a silicon layer by etching so as to be spaced apart from each other;
said stationary portion comprising a stationary electrode formed thereon, said stationary electrode comprising a plurality of electrode plates in a comb teeth form respectively facing the electrode plates of said movable electrode with a minor gap therebetween;
said movable portion comprising, as a unit, a movable electrode facing said stationary electrode via a minor gap, a mass portion for displacing said movable electrode to come close and off said stationary electrode upon an external acceleration, said movable electrode comprising a plurality of electrode plates in a comb teeth form protruding from said mass portion, and a support portion connected through a beam to said mass portion for displaceably supporting said mass portion and said movable portion on said insulating substrate;
wherein a peripheral portion surrounding said stationary portion and said movable portion at the periphery thereof is formed on said insulating substrate.
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26. An acceleration sensor comprising:
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a silicon substrate having an insulating material on the surface thereof;
a silicon layer formed on said insulating material;
a movable electrode formed of said silicon layer and comprising a weight portion, a beam portion and a movable portion for displacing in a direction parallel with the surface of said silicon substrate according to acceleration;
a support portion for supporting said movable portion;
an insulating groove extending the entire thickness of said silicon layer around said movable portion;
a stationary electrode facing and spaced apart from said movable electrode via said insulating groove therebetween and fixed to said insulating material on said silicon substrate at least a portion thereof;
a peripheral portion formed on said insulating material around said movable portion and said stationary electrode and being separated from said movable portion and said stationary electrode via said insulating groove; and
externally electricity-taking out electrode pads formed on almost a same surface on said silicon layer;
wherein a capacity according to the degree of acceleration is detected between said movable electrode and said stationary electrode, said movable portion, said stationary electrode and said silicon substrate are electrically separated by said insulating material, and all said externally electricity-taking out electrode pads are formed on almost a same surface on said silicon layer. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 35, 36, 37)
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33. An acceleration sensor comprising:
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a silicon layer formed on said insulating material;
a first movable portion formed of said silicon layer and comprising a weight portion, a beam portion and a movable electrode for displacing in a direction in parallel with a surface of said silicon layer according to acceleration;
a second movable portion different from said first movable portion and formed of said silicon layer in such a manner that said second movable portion is electrically insulated from said first movable portion with an insulating material and can be moved in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of said first movable portion;
a support portion for supporting said movable portion;
an insulating groove extending the entire thickness of said silicon layer around said movable portion;
a stationary electrode facing and spaced apart from said movable electrode via said insulating groove therebetween and fixed to said insulating material on said silicon substrate at least a portion thereof;
a peripheral portion formed on said insulating material around said movable portion and said stationary electrode portion and being separated from said movable portion and said stationary electrode portion via said insulating groove; and
externally electricity-taking our electrode pads formed on almost a same surface on said silicon layer;
wherein a capacity according to the degree of acceleration is detected between said movable electrode and said stationary electrode;
said movable portion, said stationary electrode and said silicon substrate are electrically separated by said insulating material;
all said externally electricity-taking out electrode pads are formed on almost a same surface on said silicon layer. - View Dependent Claims (34)
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Specification