Semi-conductor acceleration sensor having thin beam supported weight

A semiconductor acceleration sensor comprising:

• a thick weight made of a semiconductor;
• a thick support member separated by a predetermined gap from said thick weight and surrounding said thick weight;
• first and second pairs of thin beams, separated from each other by an angle of 90 degrees about the center of said thick weight, which connect the outer periphery of said weight with the inner periphery of said support member, one beam of each of said first and second pairs of thin beams coinciding with the other beam of each of said first and second pairs of thin beams when said one beam is rotated by 180 degrees about the center of said thick weight;
• and
• strain gauge means formed on upper faces of said first and second pairs of beams, for measuring a force applied to said thick weight, comprising first type strain gauges and second type strain gauges, said first type strain gauges and said second type strain gauges having different output characteristics in response to the force applied to said thick weight,
• said first type strain gauges being respectively formed on the upper faces of said first and second pairs of beams on a portion of each beam of said pairs near the connection thereof to said support member and in the longitudinal direction of the respective beam, and said second type strain gauges being respectively formed on the upper faces of said first and second pairs of beams on a portion of each beam of said pairs near the connection thereof to said support member and in the width direction of the respective beam,
• wherein said support member comprises a plurality of signal terminals on one side which are connected to said first and second type strain gauges formed on the upper faces of said beams, and a plurality of dummy signal terminals on another side and having the same shape as said plurality of signal terminals, said plurality of signal terminals and said plurality of dummy signal terminals being arranged on the periphery of the upper face of said support member at substantially equal intervals,
• said semiconductor acceleration sensor further comprises a supporting substrate comprising a plurality of signal terminals and a plurality of dummy signal terminals which are respectively opposed and connected to said plurality of signal terminals and said plurality of dummy signal terminals of the support member, said supporting substrate functioning to connect said first and second type strain gauges formed on said beams to the exterior through said plurality of signal terminals of the supporting substrate, and
• the sum of the height of each of said plurality of signal terminals of the support member and that of each of said plurality of signal terminals of the supporting substrate, and the sum of the height of each of said plurality of dummy signal terminals of the support member and that of each of said plurality of dummy signal terminals of the supporting substrate being set to be a dimension which is slightly greater than a displacement amount of said thick weight during operation.

A semiconductor acceleration sensor comprising:

• a thick weight made of a semiconductor;
• a thick support member separated by a predetermined gap from said thick weight and surrounding said thick weight;
• first and second pairs of thin beams, separated from each other by an angle of 90 degrees about the center of said thick weight, which connect the outer periphery of said weight with the inner periphery of said support member, one beam of each of said first and second pairs of thin beams coinciding with the other beam of each of said first and second pairs of thin beams when said one beam is rotated by 180 degrees about the center of said thick weight;
• strain gauge means formed on upper faces of said first and second pairs of beams, for measuring a force applied to said thick weight, comprising first type strain gauges and second type strain gauges, said first type strain gauges and said second type strain gauges having different output characteristics in response to the force applied to said thick weight,
• said first type strain gauges being respectively formed on the upper faces of said first and second pairs of beams on a portion of each beam of said pairs near the connection thereof to said support member and in the longitudinal direction of the respective beam, and said second type strain gauges being respectively formed on the upper faces of said first and second pairs of beams on a portion of each beam of said pairs near the connection thereof to said support member and in the width direction of the respective beam;
• and
• an additional weight and stopper disposed on the upper face of said thick weight and having an inverse convex shape, the outer periphery of said additional weight and stopper being greater than the inner periphery of said support member,
• the gap between the lower face of the outer periphery portion of said additional weight and stopper and the upper face of said support member being set to be a dimension which is smaller than an allowable displacement amount of said thick weight.

A semiconductor acceleration sensor comprising:

• a thick weight made of a semiconductor;
• a thick support member separated by a predetermined gap from said thick weight and surrounding said thick weight;
• first and second pairs of thin beams, separated from each other by an angle of 90 degrees about the center of said thick weight, which connect the outer periphery of said weight with the inner periphery of said support member, one beam of each of said first and second pairs of thin beams coinciding with the other beam of each of said first and second pairs of thin beams when said one beam is rotated by 180 degrees about the center of said thick weight;
• strain gauge means formed on upper faces of said first and second pairs of beams, for measuring a force applied to said thick weight, comprising first type strain gauges and said second type strain gauges, said first type strain gauges and second type strain gauges having different output characteristics in response to the force applied to said thick weight,
• said first type strain gauges being respectively formed on the upper faces of said first and second pairs of beams on a portion of each beam of said pairs near the connection thereof to said support member and in the longitudinal direction of the respective beam, and said second type strain gauges being respectively formed on the upper faces of said first and second pairs of beams on a portion of each beam of said pairs near the connection thereof to said support member and in the width direction of the respective beam;
• and
• a supporting substrate disposed on the lower face of said support member and having a recess which opens upward, said upwardly opening recess being greater than that of said thick weight,
• the gap between the face of said upwardly opening recess and the lower face of said thick weight being set to be a dimension which is slightly greater than a displacement amount of said thick weight during operation.

A semiconductor acceleration sensor comprising:

• a thick weight made of a semiconductor;
• a thick support member separated by a predetermined gap from said thick weight and surrounding said thick weight;
• first and second pairs of thin beams, separated from each other by an angle of 90 degrees about the center of said thick weight, which connect the outer periphery of said weight with the inner periphery of said support member, one beam of each of said first and second pairs of thin beams coinciding with the other beam of each of said first and second pairs of thin beams when said one beam is rotated by 180 degrees about the center of said thick weight;
• strain gauge means formed on upper faces of said first and second pairs of beams, for measuring a force applied to said thick weight, comprising first type strain gauges and second type strain gauges, said first type strain gauges and said second type strain gauges having different output characteristics in response to the force applied to said thick weight,
• said first type strain gauges being respectively formed on the upper faces of said first and second pairs of beams on a portion of each beam of said pairs near the connection thereof to said support member and in the longitudinal direction of the respective beam, and said second type strain gauges being respectively formed on the upper faces of said first and second pairs of beams on a portion of each beam of said pairs near the connection thereof to said support member and in the width direction of the respective beam;
• an upper supporting substrate disposed on the upper face of said support member and having a recess which opens downward, said downwardly opening recess being greater than that of said thick weight, a plurality of downward projections being formed in said downwardly opening recess and at locations which face the outer periphery of said thick weight;
• and
• a lower supporting substrate disposed on the lower face of said support member and having a recess which opens upward, said upwardly opening recess being greater than that of said thick weight, a plurality of upward projections being formed in said upwardly opening recess and at locations which face the outer periphery of said thick weight,
• the gaps between the upper and lower faces of said thick weight and the faces of said downwardly opening recess of said upper supporting substrate and said upwardly opening recess of said lower supporting substrate being set to be a dimension which is slightly greater than a displacement amount of said thick weight during operation,
• the gaps between the upper and lower faces of said thick weight and said downward and upward projections formed respectively in said downwardly opening recess of said upper supporting substrate and said upwardly opening recess of said lower supporting substrate being set to be a dimension which is smaller than an allowable displacement amount of said thick weight.

A semiconductor acceleration sensor comprising:

• a thick weight made of a semiconductor;
• a thick support member separated by a predetermined gap from said thick weight and surrounding said thick weight;
• first and second pairs of thin beams, separated from each other by an angle of 90 degrees about the center of said thick weight, which connect the outer periphery of said weight with the inner periphery of said support member, one beam of each of said first and second pairs of thin beams coinciding with the other beam of each of said first and second pairs of thin beams when said one beam is rotated by 180 degrees about the center of said thick weight;
• strain gauge means formed on upper faces of said first and second pairs of beams, for measuring a force applied to said thick weight, comprising first type strain gauges and second type strain gauges, said first type strain gauges and said second type strain gauges having different output characteristics in response to the force applied to said thick weight,
• said first type strain gauges being respectively formed on the upper faces of first and second pairs of beams on a portion of each beam of said pairs near the connection thereof to said support member and in the longitudinal direction of the respective beam, and said second type strain gauges being respectively formed on the upper faces of said first and second pairs of beams on a portion of each beam of said pairs near the connection thereof to said support member and in the width direction of the respective beam;
• an upper supporting substrate disposed on the upper face of said support member and having a recess which opens downward, said downwardly opening recess being greater than that of said thick weight, a downward projection being formed in said downwardly opening recess and at a location which faces the outer periphery of said thick weight;
• and
• a lower supporting substrate disposed on the lower face of said support member and having a recess which opens upward, said upwardly opening recess being greater than that of said thick weight, an upward projection being formed in said upwardly opening recess and at a location which faces the outer periphery of said thick weight,
• the gaps between the upper and lower faces of said weight and the faces of said downwardly opening recess of said upper substrate and said upwardly opening recess of said lower supporting substrate being set to be a dimension which is slightly greater than a displacement amount of said weight during operation,
• the gaps between the upper and lower faces of said thick weight and said downward and upward projections formed respectively in said downwardly opening recess of said upper supporting substrate and said upwardly opening recess of said lower supporting substrate being set to be a dimension which is smaller than an allowable displacement amount of said thick weight.

A semiconductor acceleration sensor comprising:

• a thick weight made of a semiconductor;
• a thick support member separated by a predetermined gap from said thick weight and surrounding said thick weight;
• first and second pairs of thin beams, separated from each other by an angle of 90 degrees about the center of said thick weight, which connect the outer periphery of said weight with the inner periphery of said support member, one beam of each of said pairs coinciding with the other beam of each of said pairs when said one beam is rotated by 180 degrees about the center of said thick weight;
• and
• strain gauge means formed on upper faces of said first and second pairs of beams, for measuring a force applied to said thick weight, comprising first type strain gauges and second type strain gauges, said first type strain gauges and said second type strain gauges having different output characteristics in response to the force applied to said thick weight,
• wherein said first type strain gauges are respectively formed on the upper faces of said first and second pairs of beams on a portion of each beam of said pairs near the connection thereof to said support member and in the longitudinal direction of the respective beams, and said second type strain gauges are respectively formed on the upper faces of said first and second pairs of beams on a portion of each beam of said pairs near the connection thereof to said thick weight and in the longitudinal direction of the respective beams.

A semiconductor acceleration sensor comprising:

• a thick weight made of a semiconductor;
• a thick support member separated by a predetermined gap from said thick weight and surrounding said thick weight;
• first and second pairs of thin beams, separated from each other by an angle of 90 degrees about the center of said thick weight, which connect the outer periphery of said weight with the inner periphery of said support member, one beam of each of said first and second pairs of thin beams coinciding with the other beam of each of said first and second pairs of thin beams when said one beam is rotated by 180 degrees about the center of said thick weight;
• and
• strain gauge means formed on upper faces of said first and second pairs of beams, for measuring a force applied to said thick weight, comprising first type strain gauges and second type strain gauges, said first type strain gauges and said second type strain gauges having different output characteristics in response to the force applied to said thick weight,
• wherein said first type strain gauges are respectively formed on the upper faces of said first and second pairs of beams on a portion of each beam of said pairs near the connection thereof to said support member and in the longitudinal direction of the respective beams, and said second type strain gauges are respectively formed on the upper faces of said first and second pairs of beams on a portion of each beam of said pairs near the connection thereof to said thick weight and in the longitudinal direction of the respective beams,
• wherein said support member comprises a plurality of signal terminals connected to said first and second type strain gauges formed on the upper faces of said beams, and a plurality of dummy signal terminals on another side having the same shape as said plurality of signal terminals, said plurality of signal terminals and said plurality of dummy signal terminals being arranged in the periphery of the upper face of said support member at substantially equal intervals,
• said semiconductor acceleration sensor further comprising a supporting substrate comprising a plurality of signal terminals and a plurality of dummy signal terminals which are respectively opposed and connected to said plurality of signal terminals and said plurality of dummy signal terminals of the supporting member, said supporting substrate functioning to connect said first and second type strain gauges formed on said beams to the exterior through said signal terminals of the supporting member, and
• the sum of the height of each of said plurality of signal terminals of the support member and that of each of said plurality of signal terminals of the supporting substrate, and the sum of the height of each of said plurality of dummy signal terminals of the support member and that of each of said plurality of dummy signal terminals of the supporting substrate being set to be a dimension which is slightly greater than a displacement amount of said thick weight during operation.

A semiconductor acceleration sensor comprising:

• a thick weight made of a semiconductor;
• a thick support member separated by a predetermined gap from said thick weight and surrounding said thick weight;
• first and second pairs of thin beams, separated from each other by an angle of 90 degrees about the center of said thick weight, which connect the outer periphery of said weight with the inner periphery of said support member, one beam of each of said first and second pairs of thin beams coinciding with the other beam of each of said first and second pairs of thin beams when said one beam is rotated by 180 degrees about the center of said thick weight;
• strain gauge means formed on upper faces of said first and second pairs of beams, for measuring a force applied to said thick weight, comprising first type strain gauges and second type strain gauges, said first type strain gauges and said second type strain gauges having different output characteristics in response to the force applied to said thick weight,
• wherein said first type strain gauges are respectively formed on the upper faces of said first and second pairs of beams on a portion of each beam of said pairs near the connection thereof to said support member and in the longitudinal direction of the respective beams, and said second type strain gauges are respectively formed on the upper faces of said first and second pairs of beams on a portion of each beam of said pairs near the connection thereof to said thick weight and in the longitudinal direction of the respective beams;
• and
• an additional weight and stopper disposed on the upper face of said thick weight and having an inverse convex shape, the outer periphery of said additional weight and stopper being greater than the inner periphery of said support member,
• the gap between the lower face of the outer periphery portion of said additional weight and stopper and the upper face of said support member being set to be a dimension which is smaller than an allowable displacement amount of said thick weight.

A semiconductor acceleration sensor comprising:

• a thick weight made of a semiconductor;
• a thick support member separated by a predetermined gap from said thick weight and surrounding said thick weight;
• first and second pairs of thin beams, separated from each other by an angle of 90 degrees about the center of said thick weight, which connect the outer periphery of said weight with the inner periphery of said support member, one beam of each of said first and second pairs of thin beams coinciding with the other beam of each of said first and second pairs of thin beams when said one beam is rotated by 180 degrees about the center of said thick weight;
• strain gauge means formed on upper faces of said first and second pairs of beams, for measuring a force applied to said thick weight, comprising first type strain gauges and second type strain gauges, said first type strain gauges and said second type strain gauges having different output characteristics in response to the force applied to said thick weight,
• wherein said first type strain gauges are respectively formed on the upper faces of said first and second pairs of beams on a portion of each beam of said pairs near the connection thereof to said support member and in the longitudinal direction of the respective beams, and said second type strain gauges are respectively formed on the upper faces of said first and second pairs of beams on a portion of each beam of said pairs near the connection thereof to said thick weight and in the longitudinal direction of the respective beams;
• and
• a supporting substrate disposed on the lower face of said support member and having a recess which opens upward, said upwardly opening recess being greater than that of said thick weight,
• the gap between the face of said upwardly opening recess and the lower face of said thick weight being set to be a dimension which is slightly greater than a displacement amount of said thick weight during operation.

A semiconductor acceleration sensor comprising:

• a thick weight made of a semiconductor;
• a thick support member separated by a predetermined gap from said thick weight and surrounding said thick weight;
• first and second pairs of thin beams, separated from each other by an angle of 90 degrees about the center of said thick weight, which connect the outer periphery of said weight with the inner periphery of said support member, one beam of each of said first and second pairs of thin beams coinciding with the other beam of each of said first and second pairs of thin beams when said one beam is rotated by 180 degrees about the center of said thick weight;
• strain gauge means formed on upper faces of said first and second pairs of beams, for measuring a force applied to said thick weight, comprising first type strain gauges and second type strain gauges, said first type strain gauges and said second type strain gauges having different output characteristics in response to the force applied to said thick weight,
• wherein said first type strain gauges are respectively formed on the upper faces of said first and second pairs of beams on a portion of each beam of said pairs near the connection thereof to said support member and in the longitudinal direction of the respective beams, and said second type strain gauges are respectively formed on the upper faces of said first and second pairs of beams on a portion of each beam of said pairs near the connection thereof to said thick weight and in the longitudinal direction of the respective beams;
• an upper supporting substrate disposed on the upper face of said support member and having a recess which opens downward, said downwardly opening recess being greater than that of said thick weight, a plurality of downward projections being formed in said downwardly opening recess and at locations which face the outer periphery of said thick weight;
• and
• a lower supporting substrate disposed on the lower face of said support member and having a recess which opens upward, said upwardly opening recess being greater than that of said thick weight, a plurality of upward projections being formed in said upwardly opening recess and at locations which face the outer periphery of said thick weight,
• the gaps between the upper and lower faces of said thick weight and the faces of said downwardly opening recess of said upper supporting substrate and said upwardly opening recess of said lower supporting substrate being set to be a dimension which is slightly greater than a displacement amount of said thick weight during operation,
• the gaps between the upper and lower faces of said thick weight and said downward and upward projections formed respectively in said downwardly opening recess of said upper supporting substrate and said upwardly opening recess of lower supporting substrate being set to be a dimension which is smaller than an allowable displacement amount of said thick weight.

A semiconductor acceleration sensor comprising:

• a thick weight made of a semiconductor;
• a thick support member separated by a predetermined gap from said thick weight and surrounding said thick weight;
• first and second pairs of thin beams, separated from each other by an angle of 90 degrees about the center of said thick weight, which connect the outer periphery of said weight with the inner periphery of said support member, one beam of each of said first and second pairs of thin beams coinciding with the other beam of each of said first and second pairs of thin beams when said one beam is rotated by 180 degrees about the center of said thick weight;
• strain gauge means formed on upper faces of said first and second pairs of beams, for measuring a force applied to said thick weight, comprising first type strain gauges and second type strain gauges, said first type strain gauges and said second type strain gauges having different output characteristics in response to the force applied to said thick weight,
• wherein said first type strain gauges are respectively formed on the upper faces of said first and second pairs of beams on a portion of each beam of said pairs near the connection thereof to said support member and in the longitudinal direction of the respective beams, and said second type strain gauges are respectively formed on the upper faces of said first and second pairs of beams on a portion of each beam of said pairs near the connection thereof to said thick weight and in the longitudinal direction of the respective beams;
• an upper supporting substrate disposed on the upper face of said support member and having a recess which opens downward, said downwardly opening recess being greater than that of said thick weight, a downward projection being formed in said downwardly opening recess and at a location which faces the outer periphery of said thick weight;
• and
• a lower supporting substrate disposed on the lower face of said support member and having a recess which opens upward, said upwardly opening recess being greater than that of said thick weight, an upward projection being formed in said upwardly opening recess and at a location which faces the outer periphery of said thick weight,
• the gaps between the upper and lower faces of said thick weight and the faces of said downwardly opening recess of said upper substrate and said upwardly opening recess of said lower supporting substrate being set to be a dimension which is slightly greater than a displacement amount of said thick weight during operation,
• the gaps between the upper and lower faces of said thick weight and said downward and upward projections formed respectively in said downwardly opening recess of said upper supporting substrate and said upwardly opening recess of said lower supporting substrate being set to be a dimension which is smaller than an allowable displacement amount of said thick weight.