Three-axis microelectromechanical systems device with single proof mass

A microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device comprising:

• a substrate;
• a movable element having mass that is asymmetric relative to a rotational axis, said movable element having a first portion positioned on a first side of said rotational axis and a second portion positioned on a second side of said rotational axis, said first portion having greater mass than said second portion;
• and
• a suspension spring system configured to movably couple said movable element to said substrate, said suspension spring system including a first translatory spring element, a second translatory spring element, and a torsion spring element, wherein said first translatory spring element is adapted to facilitate translatory motion of said first portion of said movable element relative to said substrate in a first direction substantially parallel to a first axis, said second translatory spring element is adapted to facilitate said translatory motion of said second portion of said movable element relative to said substrate in said first direction, and said torsion spring element is configured to facilitate rotation of said movable element about said rotational axis, wherein:
• said first translatory spring element has a first stiffness;
• and
• said second translatory spring element has a second stiffness, said first stiffness being greater than said second stiffness to compensate for moments created by said asymmetric mass of said movable element in response to translatory acceleration relative to said substrate in said first direction such that said movable element moves substantially linearly in response to said translatory acceleration in said first direction, said first stiffness and said second stiffness defining stiffness in said first direction;
• and
• said rotation of said movable element about said rotational axis comprises rotation about said first axis.

A microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device comprising:

• a substrate;
• a movable element having a mass that is asymmetric relative to a rotational axis;
• and
• a suspension spring system configured to movably couple said movable element to said substrate, said suspension spring system including:
• a first translatory spring element having a first stiffness and a first spring end;
• a second translatory spring element having a second stiffness and a second spring end, said first and second translatory spring elements being configured to facilitate translatory motion of said movable element relative to said substrate, and said first stiffness being greater than said second stiffness to compensate for moments created by said asymmetric mass of said movable element in response to translatory acceleration relative to said substrate in a first direction substantially parallel to a first axis;
• and
• a torsion spring element having a first torsion spring end, wherein said first end, said second end, and said first torsion spring end are coupled together at a common region suspended above said substrate, and said torsion spring element is configured to facilitate rotation of said movable element about said rotational axis, wherein said rotation of said movable element about said rotational axis comprises rotation about said first axis.