Pyramid socket suspension
AssigneeHoneywell International Inc.
InventorsSteven Foote, Paul Collins, J. Milne
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method for flexibly suspending a sensing mechanism between a pair of cover plates, including a sensing mechanism formed in a crystalline silicon substrate; a pair of cover plates formed in crystalline silicon substrates; a first plurality of complementary interfaces in fixed relation between the sensing mechanism and a first one of the cover plates; and a second plurality of complementary interfaces flexibly suspended between the sensing mechanism and a second one of the cover plates with one or more of the flexibly suspended interfaces being a complementary male and female interface.
Claims22
1-6. (canceled)
A micro-machined electromechanical system (MEMS) device having a micro-machined strain isolation apparatus, the MEMS device comprising:
- a micro-machined electromechanical force sensing mechanism formed in a crystalline silicon substrate, the sensing mechanism including a plurality of interfaces formed in first and second opposing surfaces of a frame portion thereof;
- first and second micro-machined cover plates formed in respective crystalline silicon substrates, each of the cover plates being formed with a substantially planar base portion between a plurality of upright walls that are spaced apart to admit the sensing mechanism and sized to form a cavity for housing the sensing mechanism when joined together;
- a plurality of mesas being distributed between the base portion of the first cover plate in juxtaposition to a plurality of complementary flats formed in a first surface of a frame portion of the sensing mechanism;
- a plurality of flexibly suspended complementary strain isolation devices being distributed between the base portion of the second cover plate and a second opposing surface of the frame portion of the sensing mechanism;
- and
- an adhesive bond joining the walls of the first and second cover plates.
13-29. (canceled)
An apparatus for flexibly suspending a sensing mechanism between a pair of cover plates, the apparatus comprising:
- first, second and third crystalline wafers each having first and second substantially planar and parallel spaced apart opposing surfaces;
- a micro-machined electromechanical force sensing mechanism formed in the first crystalline substrate, the sensing mechanism being formed with a relatively stationary frame portion substantially surrounding an operational portion;
- a pair of cover plates formed in the second and third crystalline substrates and mounted on either side of the sensing mechanism and interfaced with the frame portion thereof;
- a plurality of flat tipped male projections and complementary flats interfaced between the frame portion of the sensing mechanism and the first cover plate;
- and
- a plurality of male projections and complementary female indentations flexibly suspended between the frame portion of the sensing mechanism and the second cover plate;
- and
- a bond joint between the pair of cover plates.
An apparatus for flexibly suspending a sensing mechanism between a pair of cover plates, the apparatus comprising:
- a pair of cover plates formed in respective crystalline silicon substrates each formed with a base surrounded by walls, an inner surface of the base of a first of the cover plates being formed with a plurality of flat tipped male projections, and an inner surface of the base of a second of the cover plates being formed with a plurality of male truncated pyramid-shaped projections;
- and
- a crystalline silicon substrate formed with a micro-machined electromechanical force sensing mechanism suspended from a frame portion thereof, the frame portion having a first surface formed with a plurality of flats each complementary to one of the plurality of flat tipped male projections formed on the inner surface of the base of a first cover plate, and a second surface formed with a plurality of female truncated pyramidal-shaped indentations each complementary to one of the plurality of male truncated pyramid-shaped projections.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.