US 10,760,909 B2Granted

Angular rate sensor with in-phase drive and sense motion suppression

AssigneeNXP USA, Inc.

InventorAaron A. Geisberger

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Abstract

A MEMS device includes first, second, third, and fourth sense masses spaced apart from a surface of a substrate. A first drive coupler interconnects the first sense mass with a first actuator, a second drive coupler interconnects the second sense mass with a second actuator, a third drive coupler interconnects the third sense mass with a third actuator, and a fourth drive coupler interconnects the fourth sense mass with a fourth actuator. Each of the drive couplers includes a torsion bar having a length aligned parallel to an outer sidewall of an adjacent sense mass and first and second coupling links coupled to opposing first and second ends of the torsion bar. The first and second coupling links couple an adjacent one of the first, second, third, and fourth sense masses with a corresponding one of the first, second, third, and fourth actuators.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A device comprising:

a substrate having a planar surface;
a first sense mass, a second sense mass, a third sense mass and a fourth sense mass spaced apart from the planar surface of the substrate;
a first actuator, a second actuator, a third actuator, and a fourth actuator;
a first drive coupler interconnecting the first sense mass and the first actuator;
a second drive coupler interconnecting the second sense mass and the second actuator;
a third drive coupler interconnecting the third sense mass and the third actuator;
and
a fourth drive coupler interconnecting the fourth sense mass and the fourth actuator,
wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth drive couplers comprises:
a torsion bar having a length aligned parallel to an outer sidewall of an adjacent one of the first, second, third, and fourth sense masses;
a first coupling link coupled to a first end of the torsion bar;
and
a second coupling link coupled to a second end of the torsion bar, the first and second coupling links coupling an adjacent one of the first, second, third, and fourth sense masses with a corresponding one of the first, second, third, and fourth actuators.

10 more elements

A device comprising:

a substrate having a planar surface;
a first sense mass, a second sense mass, a third sense mass and a fourth sense mass spaced apart from the planar surface of the substrate;
a first actuator, a second actuator, a third actuator, and a fourth actuator;
a first drive coupler interconnecting the first sense mass and the first actuator;
a second drive coupler interconnecting the second sense mass and the second actuator;
a third drive coupler interconnecting the third sense mass and the third actuator;
and
a fourth drive coupler interconnecting the fourth sense mass and the fourth actuator,
wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth drive couplers comprises:
a torsion bar having a length aligned parallel to an outer sidewall of an adjacent one of the first, second, third, and fourth sense masses, the length of the torsion bar being at least equivalent to an edge length of the outer sidewall of the corresponding one of the first, second, third, and fourth sense masses;
a first coupling link coupled to a first end of the torsion bar;
and
a second coupling link coupled to a second end of the torsion bar, the first and second coupling links coupling an adjacent one of the first, second, third, and fourth sense masses with a corresponding one of the first, second, third, and fourth actuators, and wherein:
the first and fourth sense masses are configured to be driven via the first and fourth actuators in a first drive direction parallel to a first axis oriented parallel to the planar surface;
the second and third sense masses are configured to be driven via the second and third actuators parallel to the first axis in a second drive direction that is opposite from the first drive direction such that the second and third sense masses undergo antiphase drive motion relative to the first and fourth sense masses;
the device is sensitive to angular velocity about a second axis parallel to the planar surface of the substrate and perpendicular to the first axis;
the first and fourth sense masses are configured to move in a first sense direction parallel to a third axis oriented perpendicular to the planar surface of the substrate in response to the angular velocity of the angular rate sensor about the second axis;
and
the second and third sense masses are configured to move in a second sense direction parallel to the third axis that is opposite from the first sense direction in response to the angular velocity of the angular rate sensor about the second axis such that the second and third sense masses undergo antiphase sense motion relative to the first and fourth sense masses.

16 more elements

A method for operating an angular rate sensor device that includes a substrate having a planar surface, a first sense mass, a second sense mass, a third sense mass, a fourth sense mass, a first actuator, a second actuator, a third actuator, and a fourth actuator, the method comprising:

driving the first and fourth sense masses via the first and fourth actuators in a first drive direction parallel to a first axis oriented parallel to the planar surface;
and
driving the second and third sense masses via the second and third actuators parallel to the first axis in a second drive direction that is opposite from the first drive direction such that the second and third sense masses undergo antiphase drive motion relative to the first and fourth sense masses;
wherein a first drive coupler interconnects the first sense mass and the first actuator, a second drive coupler interconnects the second sense mass and the second actuator, a third drive coupler interconnects the third sense mass and the third actuator, and a fourth drive coupler interconnects the fourth sense mass and the fourth actuator;
and
wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth drive couplers comprises a torsion bar having a length aligned parallel to an outer sidewall of an adjacent one of the first, second, third, and fourth sense masses, a first coupling link coupled to a first end of the torsion bar, and a second coupling link coupled to a second end of the torsion bar, the first and second coupling links coupling an adjacent one of the first, second, third, and fourth sense masses with a corresponding one of the first, second, third, and fourth actuators.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.