# US 12,216,137 B2 · Physical quantity sensor and inertial measurement unit > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,216,137 B2 - Document ID: US12216137B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/975,730 - Filed: 2022-10-28 - Published: 2023-05-04 - Granted: 2025-02-04 - Earliest claimed: 2021-10-29 - Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation - Applicants: Seiko Epson Corporation - Inventors: Satoru Tanaka - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12216137B2 ## CPC - G01P 15/125: by capacitive pick-up - G01P 15/18: in two or more dimensions - 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} - G01P: MEASURING LINEAR OR ANGULAR SPEED, ACCELERATION, DECELERATION, OR SHOCK; INDICATING PRESENCE, ABSENCE, OR DIRECTION, OF MOVEMENT (measuring or recording blood flow A61B5/02, A61B8/06; monitoring speed or deceleration of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L3/00; vehicle lighting systems adapted to indicate speed B60Q1/54; determining position or course in navigation, measuring ground distance in geodesy or surveying G01C; combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement G01C23/00; measuring velocity of sound G01H; measuring velocity of light G01J7/00; measuring direction or velocity of solid objects by reception or emission of radiowaves or other waves and based on propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effect, propagation time, direction of propagation, G01S; measuring speed of nuclear radiation G01T; measuring acceleration of gravity G01V; {measuring or recording the speed of trains B61L23/00; speed indicators incorporated in motor vehicles B60K35/00; measuring frequency or phase G01R; traffic control G08G}) ## Abstract A physical quantity sensor includes: a first fixed electrode portion; a first movable electrode portion; a first fixed portion fixed to a substrate; a first support beam having one end coupled to the first fixed portion; a second support beam having one end coupled to the first fixed portion; and a first coupling portion coupling the other end of the first support beam and the other end of the second support beam to the first movable electrode portion. In a plan view in a third direction orthogonal to the substrate, the first movable electrode portion and the first fixed portion are disposed along a first direction, the first support beam and the second support beam are disposed along a second direction, and the first coupling portion includes a first portion disposed along the second direction side by side with the first support beam and the second support beam, and a second portion coupled to the first portion and the first movable electrode portion and disposed along the first direction. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A physical quantity sensor comprising: three directions orthogonal to one another being defined as a first direction, a second direction, and a third direction; a substrate that is quadrangular-shaped, the substrate having first, second, third, and fourth sides, the first and third sides facing each other, the second and fourth sides facing each other; a first fixed electrode portion provided at a substrate, the first fixed electrode portion extending along the second direction, the first fixed electrode portion being fixed to the substrate via an electrode fixed portion, the electrode fixed portion being an end of the first fixed electrode portion; a movable body, the movable body being fixed to the substrate via a first body fixed portion, the movable body being configured with: a first movable electrode portion provided such that a movable electrode of the first movable electrode portion faces a fixed electrode of the first fixed electrode portion; a first support beam having one end coupled to the first body fixed portion; a second support beam having one end coupled to the first body fixed portion; and a first coupling portion coupling the other end of the first support beam and the other end of the second support beam to the first movable electrode portion, wherein when viewed in the third direction orthogonal to the substrate, the first movable electrode portion and the first body fixed portion are arranged along the first direction, the first support beam and the second support beam extend along the second direction, the first coupling portion includes: a first portion disposed along the second direction side by side with the first support beam and the second support beam; and a second portion coupled to the first portion and the first movable electrode portion and disposed along the first direction, an end part of the first fixed electrode portion having the electrode fixed portion extends toward the first side of the substrate along the second direction from any part of the movable body, the end part of the first fixed electrode portion is located closer to the first side of the substrate than the any part of the movable body, the first body fixed portion is located directly adjacent to the third side of the substrate without any structure intervening between the first body fixed portion and the third side of the substrate, when the movable body moves in the third direction or in a direction opposite to the third direction with respect to the substrate, the first movable electrode portion and the first fixed electrode portion detect a physical quantity, the first movable electrode portion includes a first base movable electrode, a first movable electrode extending from the first base movable electrode in the first direction, and a second movable electrode extending from the first base movable electrode in a direction opposite the first direction, and the first fixed electrode portion includes a first fixed electrode facing the first movable electrode and a second fixed electrode facing the second movable electrode. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The physical quantity sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first coupling portion includes a third portion coupled to the second portion and disposed along the second direction side by side with the first movable electrode portion. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The physical quantity sensor according to claim 1, wherein the fixed electrode of the first fixed electrode portion and the movable electrode of the first movable electrode portion face each other in the second direction. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The physical quantity sensor according to claim 1, wherein the fixed electrode of the first fixed electrode portion includes a first base fixed electrode, the first fixed electrode extending from the first base fixed electrode in the first direction, and the second fixed electrode extending from the first base fixed electrode in a direction opposite the first direction, and the movable electrode of the first movable electrode portion includes the first movable electrode facing the first fixed electrode and the second movable electrode facing the second fixed electrode. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The physical quantity sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first body fixed portion includes two body fixed portions, the one end of the first support beam is coupled to one of the two body fixed portions, and the one end of the second support beam is coupled to the other of the two body fixed portions. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The physical quantity sensor according to claim 1, further comprising: a first detection element including the first fixed electrode portion, the first movable electrode portion, the first body fixed portion, the first support beam, the second support beam, and the first coupling portion; and a second detection element, wherein the second detection element is disposed in a region surrounded by the first portion and the second portion of the first coupling portion. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The physical quantity sensor according to claim 6, wherein the first coupling portion includes a third portion coupled to the second portion and disposed along the second direction side by side with the first movable electrode portion, and the second detection element is disposed in a region surrounded by the first portion, the second portion, and the third portion of the first coupling portion. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The physical quantity sensor according to claim 6, further comprising: a first fixed electrode wiring coupled to the first fixed electrode portion; a first movable electrode wiring coupled to the first movable electrode portion; and a first wiring group coupled to the second detection element, wherein the first fixed electrode wiring, the first movable electrode wiring, and the first wiring group are wired along the second direction. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The physical quantity sensor according to claim 1, further comprising: a second fixed electrode portion provided at the substrate; a second movable electrode portion provided such that a movable electrode of the second movable electrode portion faces a fixed electrode of the second fixed electrode portion; a second body fixed portion fixed to the substrate; a third support beam having one end coupled to the second body fixed portion; a fourth support beam having one end coupled to the second body fixed portion; and a second coupling portion coupling the other end of the third support beam and the other end of the fourth support beam to the second movable electrode portion, wherein when viewed in the third direction, the second body fixed portion and the second movable electrode portion are disposed along the first direction, the third support beam and the fourth support beam are disposed along the second direction, and the second coupling portion includes a fourth portion disposed along the second direction side by side with the third support beam and the fourth support beam, and a fifth portion coupled to the fourth portion and the second movable electrode portion and disposed along the first direction. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The physical quantity sensor according to claim 9, further comprising: a first detection element including the first fixed electrode portion, the first movable electrode portion, the first body fixed portion, the first support beam, the second support beam, the first coupling portion, the second fixed electrode portion, the second movable electrode portion, the second body fixed portion, the third support beam, the fourth support beam, and the second coupling portion; a second detection element; and a third detection element, wherein the second detection element is disposed in a region surrounded by the first portion and the second portion of the first coupling portion, and the third detection element is disposed in a region surrounded by the fourth portion and the fifth portion of the second coupling portion. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The physical quantity sensor according to claim 10, wherein the first coupling portion includes a third portion coupled to the second portion and disposed along the second direction side by side with the first movable electrode portion, the second coupling portion includes a sixth portion coupled to the fifth portion and disposed along the second direction side by side with the second movable electrode portion, the second detection element is disposed in a region surrounded by the first portion, the second portion, and the third portion of the first coupling portion, and the third detection element is disposed in a region surrounded by the fourth portion, the fifth portion, and the sixth portion of the second coupling portion. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The physical quantity sensor according to claim 10, further comprising: a first fixed electrode wiring coupled to the first fixed electrode portion; a first movable electrode wiring coupled to the first movable electrode portion; a second fixed electrode wiring coupled to the second fixed electrode portion; a second movable electrode wiring coupled to the second movable electrode portion; a first wiring group coupled to the second detection element; and a second wiring group coupled to the third detection element, wherein the first fixed electrode wiring, the first movable electrode wiring, the second fixed electrode wiring, the second movable electrode wiring, the first wiring group, and the second wiring group are wired along the second direction. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) An inertial measurement device comprising: the physical quantity sensor according to claim 1; and a controller configured to control the inertial measurement device based on a detection signal output from the physical quantity sensor.