Silicon bulk micromachined, symmetric, degenerate vibratorygyroscope, accelerometer and sensor and method for using the same

A method of operating a vibratory micromachined resonator comprising the steps of:

• oscillating a micromachined symmetric leaf structure having a plurality of symmetrically disposed leaves about a defined center, said symmetric leaf structure including at least one micromachined spring symmetrically disposed with respect to said symmetric leaf structure and supporting said symmetrical leaf structure for providing a restoring force to said symmetric leaf structure;
• and
• sensing Coriolis perturbations caused in said oscillating symmetric leaf structure;
• whereby motion is detected in a rugged, small, low cost, high performance vibratory sensor.

A sensor comprising:

• a symmetric leaf structure having a plurality of symmetrically disposed leaves about a defined center;
• at least one spring symmetrically disposed with respect to said symmetric leaf structure and supporting said symmetrical leaf structure;
• a rim/base structure to which said spring is coupled, said rim/base structure including a plurality of sensing electrodes;
• and
• a circuit electrically coupled to said electrodes included within said rim/base structure, said circuit for receiving a sensing signal from said sensing electrodes to detect response of said symmetric leaf structure to physical phenomena exterior to said sensor,
• whereby a rugged, small, low cost, high performance sensor is provided.