Monolithic micromechanical apparatus with suspended microstructure

A monolithic micromechanical apparatus comprising:

• a semiconductor substrate including a surface;
• a microstructure disposed above said substrate, said microstructure including a plurality of posts extending from the surface of said substrate and a bridge suspended from said substrate by said posts, said bridge including a central beam and a plurality of generally parallel movable fingers extending transversely from said beam;
• a plurality of generally parallel electrically conductive substantially stationary fingers anchored to said substrate, each of said substantially stationary fingers corresponding to one of said movable fingers and positioned relative to said corresponding movable finger such that said movable finger and said corresponding substantially stationary finger form a capacitor, with movement of said movable fingers relative to said substantially stationary fingers altering the capacitance between each of said movable fingers and said corresponding substantially stationary finger;
• and
• circuitry disposed on said substrate and operationally coupled to said movable fingers and said substantially stationary fingers for processing a signal based on a relative positioning of said movable fingers and said substantially stationary fingers.

A monolithic capacitance-type micromechanical device comprising:

• a semiconductor substrate including a surface;
• a microstructure disposed above said substrate, said microstructure including a plurality of posts extending from the surface of said substrate and a bridge suspended from said substrate by said posts, said bridge including a central beam and a plurality of generally parallel movable fingers extending transversely from said beam;
• and
• a plurality of generally parallel electrically conductive substantially stationary fingers anchored to said substrate, each of said substantially stationary fingers corresponding to one of said movable fingers and positioned relative to said corresponding movable finger such that said movable finger and said corresponding substantially stationary finger form a capacitor.

A capacitance-type micromechanical device comprising:

• a semiconductor substrate including a surface;
• a microstructure disposed above said substrate, said microstructure including a plurality of posts extending from the surface of said substrate and a bridge suspended from said substrate by said posts, said bridge including a central beam and a plurality of generally parallel movable fingers extending transversely from said beam;
• and
• a plurality of generally parallel electrically conductive substantially stationary fingers anchored to said substrate, each of said substantially stationary fingers corresponding to one of said movable fingers and positioned relative to said corresponding movable finger such that said movable finger and said corresponding substantially stationary finger form a capacitor.