Systems and methods having multi-axis sensitivity and translational mode shapes
AssigneeGeorgia Tech Research Corporation
InventorsPranav Gupta, Farrokh Ayazi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hermetically-sealed multi-directional single-proof-mass accelophone that demonstrates a high sensitivity to micro-gravity level accelerations in a wide operational bandwidth by utilizing nano-scale transductions gaps and vacuum packaging. Stable operation of the wafer-level-packaged sensor is validated over a wide operational bandwidth greater than 10 kHz. Developing a noise-matched custom interface IC should enable a sensor noise performance near the Brownian noise floor of below 10 μg/√Hz. The sensor can be applied in detection of vital mechano-acoustic signals emanating from the body and can be easily incorporated in existing wearable health monitoring devices for multi-faceted health monitoring using a single integrated sensor.
Claims26
A multi-axis device comprising:
- a proof-mass;
- a contiguous hinge-frame encircling the proof-mass, the contiguous hinge-frame designed to displace to a greater extent than, and in the same direction of, the proof-mass upon an externally applied acceleration;
- a substrate;
- a support system comprising a set of torsional support systems, the support system:
- supporting the proof-mass to the contiguous hinge-frame (i) with the set of torsional support systems while inhibiting either cantilever motion or rotational motion of the proof-mass and (ii) in such a way that, upon the device experiencing the externally applied acceleration, the proof-mass is configured to undergo translational motion across all axes;
- and
- supporting the contiguous hinge-frame to the substrate;
- and
- a sensing electrode separated from the proof-mass by an out-of-plane sensing gap;
- wherein, upon the device experiencing the externally applied acceleration, the proof-mass undergoes translational motion in an out-of-plane direction changing a size of the sensing gap, while a first set of opposing edges of the contiguous hinge-frame displace greater than the proof-mass in the out-of-plane direction resultant from the translational motion of the proof-mass;
- and
- wherein the proof-mass, contiguous hinge-frame, and support system are each formed in the same single layer.
A multi-axis device comprising:
- a proof-mass;
- a contiguous hinge-frame encircling the proof-mass, the contiguous hinge-frame designed to displace to a greater extent than, and in the same direction of, the proof-mass upon an externally applied acceleration;
- a substrate;
- a support system comprising a set of torsional support systems, the support system:
- supporting the proof-mass and configured to inhibit cantilever motion and rotational motion of the proof-mass;
- and
- supporting the contiguous hinge-frame to the substrate;
- and
- a sensing electrode separated from the proof-mass by an out-of-plane sensing gap;
- wherein the proof-mass, contiguous hinge-frame, and support system are each formed in the same single layer;
- and
- wherein, upon the device experiencing the externally applied acceleration, the proof-mass undergoes translational motion in an out-of-plane direction or an in-plane direction, changing the size of the out-of-plane sensing gap, while a first set of opposing edges of the hinge-frame displace greater than the proof-mass in the out-of-plane direction resultant from the translational motion of the proof-mass.
A multi-axis microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device comprising:
- a proof-mass;
- sensing electrodes, each sensing electrode separated from the proof-mass by a sensing gap;
- a contiguous hinge-frame encircling the proof-mass and supporting the proof-mass with a support system, the contiguous hinge-frame configured to, upon the MEMS device experiencing an externally applied acceleration:
- displace to a greater extent than, and in a same direction of, the proof-mass, thereby changing a size of the sensing gap in the same direction while a first set of opposing edges of the contiguous hinge-frame displace greater than the proof-mass in the same direction resultant from translational motion of the proof-mass resultant from the externally applied acceleration;
- enable the proof-mass to undergo translational motion across all axes;
- inhibit the proof-mass from undergoing cantilever motion;
- and
- inhibit the proof-mass from undergoing rotational motion;
- and
- a substrate;
- wherein the support system supports the contiguous hinge-frame to the substrate;
- and
- wherein the proof-mass, contiguous hinge-frame, and support system are each formed in the same single layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.