Fangfang R Feng

US Patent:

20110067495, Mar 24, 2011

Filed:

Sep 22, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/564180

Inventors:

Duli Yu - Sugar Land TX, US
Fangfang Feng - Missouri City TX, US
Kedu Han - Sugar Land TX, US

International Classification:

G01P 15/13
G01P 15/125
H01L 21/30
G01C 19/56

US Classification:

7351424, 7351432, 438 50, 7350404, 257E21211

Abstract:

A capacitive accelerometer having one or more micromachined acceleration sensor assembly is disclosed. The acceleration sensor assembly comprises a spring-mass-support structure, a top cap and a bottom cap. The proof mass plate of the spring-mass-support structure has cutout spaces and is supported by a pair of branched torsional beams which are substantially located in the cutout spaces. The torsional axis of the proof mass plate is offset from the mass center in direction perpendicular to the proof mass plate. The acceleration sensor assembly further comprises multiple coplanar electrodes for differential capacitive sensing and electrostatic forcing. The capacitive accelerometer according to the present invention may comprise one, two or six micromachined acceleration sensor assemblies with electronic signal detection, conditioning and control circuits in different configurations and applications to detect and measure linear and angular accelerations. Methods to fabricate the micromachined acceleration sensor assembly are disclosed.