Inertial sensor with off-axis spring system

An inertial sensor comprising:

• a substrate having a surface;
• a sense mass having first and second ends, and said sense mass including a central opening, said sense mass including first and second ends, wherein an entirety of said first end is located on a first side of an axis of rotation, an entirety of said second end is located on a second side of said axis of rotation, and said first and second ends are symmetrically displaced away from said axis of rotation;
• a drive mass linked to said sense mass and residing in said central opening, said drive mass being configured to undergo oscillatory motion within a plane substantially parallel to said surface;
• an on-axis torsion spring coupled to said sense mass, said on-axis torsion spring being co-located with said axis of rotation;
• and
• an off-axis spring system including a first off-axis spring disposed at said first end of said sense mass and a second off-axis spring disposed at said second end of said sense mass, each of said first and second off-axis springs including a connection interface coupled to said sense mass at a location on said sense mass that is displaced away from said axis of rotation, wherein said on-axis torsion spring and said off-axis spring system enable said sense mass to rotate out of said plane about said axis of rotation.

An inertial sensor comprising:

• a substrate having a surface;
• a drive mass configured to undergo oscillatory motion within a plane substantially parallel to said surface at a drive frequency, said drive mass including a first drive mass structure and a second drive mass structure, said first and second drive mass structures exhibiting reflectional symmetry relative to an axis of rotation, and said first and second drive mass structures being driven in opposite directions parallel to said plane;
• a sense mass linked to said drive mass, said sense mass including first and second ends, wherein an entirety of said first end is located on a first side of an axis of rotation, an entirety of said second end is located on a second side of said axis of rotation, and said first and second ends are symmetrically displaced away from said axis of rotation;
• an on-axis torsion spring coupled to said sense mass, said on-axis torsion spring being co-located with said axis of rotation;
• and
• an off-axis spring system having a connection interface that is coupled to said sense mass at a location on said sense mass that is displaced away from said axis of rotation, said off-axis spring system including a first off-axis spring disposed at said first end of said sense mass and a second off-axis spring disposed at said second end of said sense mass, each of said first and second off-axis springs including said connection interface, wherein said on-axis torsion spring and said off-axis spring system enable said sense mass to oscillate out of said plane at a sense frequency that is substantially equivalent to said drive frequency.