Micromechanical Z-sensor
AssigneeRobert Bosch GmbH
InventorGuenther-Nino-Carlo Ullrich
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A micromechanical Z-sensor, including a rocker having trough structures which is twistably supported with the aid of a spring device, the rocker having a mass distribution which is asymmetric with respect to the spring device, first electrodes situated above the trough structure, and second electrodes situated below the rocker, and a catch device including at least one spring element against which a stop element which is anchored to a substrate is able to strike, at least two catch devices which are spatially separated from each other being provided per rocker arm of the rocker.
Claims12
A micromechanical Z-sensor, comprising:
- a rocker having trough structures which is twistably supported with the aid of a spring device, the rocker having a mass distribution which is asymmetric with respect to the spring device;
- first electrodes situated above the trough structure;
- second electrodes situated below the rocker;
- and
- at least two catch devices, each catch device including at least one spring element against which a stop element which is anchored to a substrate is able to strike;
- wherein the at least two catch devices are spatially separated from each other and are provided per rocker arm of the rocker;
- wherein the stop element includes a strike surface, the stop element strike surface having a first region and a second region;
- wherein the first region of the stop element strike surface is coplanar with the second region of the stop element strike surface;
- wherein the at least one spring element includes a strike surface;
- and
- wherein the strike surface of the stop element overhangs the strike surface of the at least one spring element so that the first region of the stop element strike surface contacts the strike surface of the at least one spring element when the rocker deflects, and the second region of the stop element strike surface does not contact the strike surface of the at least one spring element when the rocker deflects.
A method for manufacturing a micromechanical Z-sensor, the method comprising:
- providing an asymmetrically formed rocker made up of at least two functional layers;
- forming at least two catch devices which are spatially separated from each other per rocker arm, a formation of spring elements being carried out in the lowest functional layer of the rocker;
- and
- forming stop elements so that the stop elements are anchored to the substrate, a stop area of the stop elements protruding onto a stop surface of the spring elements
- wherein the stop element includes a strike surface, the stop element strike surface having a first region and a second region;
- wherein the first region of the stop element strike surface is coplanar with the second region of the stop element strike surface;
- wherein the at least one spring element includes a strike surface;
- and
- wherein the strike surface of the stop element overhangs the strike surface of the at least one spring element so that the first region of the stop element strike surface contacts the strike surface of the at least one spring element when the rocker deflects, and the second region of the stop element strike surface does not contact the strike surface of the at least one spring element when the rocker deflects.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.