1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an accelerometer, and more specifically, to a capacitive accelerometer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, a conventional three-axis capacitive accelerometer utilizes three independent masses with the related sensing electrode components to sense accelerations in an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis independently. Although this design can prevent the linearity and sensitivity of each sensing axis of the capacitive accelerometer from being interfered by other sensing axes of the capacitive accelerometer, this design needs to increase the overall volume of the capacitive accelerometer for reducing mechanical noise received by the capacitive accelerometer, so as to make the capacitive accelerometer oversized. Thus, it should be a concern for a capacitive accelerometer to reduce its overall volume and increase its sensitivity and linearity.
The present invention provides a capacitive accelerometer including a substrate and a first semiconductor layer. The first semiconductor layer is disposed on the substrate and includes a first mass, at least one first support base, a first elastic member, at least one first combo capacitor set, at least one second support base, a second elastic member, and at least one second combo capacitor set. The first support base is located at least one side of the first mass corresponding to a first axis. The first elastic member is connected to the first mass and the first support base in a manner of bending back and forth perpendicular to the first axis, for making the first mass move elastically along the first axis when a force is applied to the first mass in the first axis. The first combo capacitor set is connected to at least one side of the first mass corresponding to a second axis. The second support base is located at least one side of the first mass corresponding to the second axis. The second elastic member is connected to the first mass and the second support base in a manner of bending back and forth perpendicular to the second axis, for making the first mass move elastically along the second axis when a force is applied to the first mass in the second axis. The second combo capacitor set is connected to at least one side of the first mass corresponding to the first axis. The first axis is perpendicular to the second axis.
The present invention further provides a capacitive accelerometer including a substrate and a first semiconductor layer. The first semiconductor layer is disposed on the substrate and includes a first mass, at least two first support bases, two first elastic members, at least one first combo capacitor set, at least two second support bases, two second elastic member, and at least one second combo capacitor set. The two first support bases are respectively located at least one side of the first mass corresponding to a first axis. The two first elastic members are respectively connected to the first mass and the first support base in a manner of bending back and forth parallel to the first axis, for making the first mass move elastically along a second axis when a force is applied to the first mass in the second axis. The first combo capacitor set is connected to at least one side of the first mass corresponding to the first axis. The two second support bases are respectively located at least one side of the first mass corresponding to the first axis. The two second elastic members are respectively connected to the first mass and the corresponding second support base in a manner of bending back and forth parallel to the second axis, for making the first mass move elastically along the first axis when a force is applied to the first mass in the first axis. The second combo capacitor set is connected to at least one side of the first mass corresponding to the second axis. The bending times of the two first elastic members are different to each other, and the first axis is perpendicular to the second axis.
The present invention further provides a capacitive accelerometer including a substrate and a first semiconductor set. The first semiconductor layer is disposed on the substrate and includes a first mass, at least one first support base, a first elastic member, at least one first combo capacitor set, at least one second support base, a second elastic member, and at least one second combo capacitor set. The first support base is located at least one side of the first mass corresponding to a first axis. The first elastic member has a first bending structure and a first step structure. The first bending structure is connected to the first support base in a manner of bending back and forth corresponding to the first axis. The first step structure is connected between the first mass and the first bending structure. The first combo capacitor set is connected to at least one side of the first mass corresponding to the first axis. The second support base is located at least one side of the first mass corresponding to a second axis. The second elastic member has a second bending structure and a second step structure. The second bending structure is connected to the second support base in a manner of bending back and forth corresponding to the second axis. The second step structure is connected between the first mass and the second bending structure. The second combo capacitor set is connected to at least one side of the first mass corresponding to the second axis. The first axis is perpendicular to the second axis.
The present invention further provides a capacitive accelerometer including a substrate and a first semiconductor layer. The first semiconductor layer is disposed on the substrate and includes a first mass, at least two first combo capacitor sets, at least one support base, a first elastic member, at least one two second capacitor sets, at least one second support base, and a second elastic member. The two first combo capacitor sets are connected to least one side of the first mass corresponding to a first axis. The first support base is disposed between the two first combo capacitor sets. The first elastic member is connected between the first mass and the first support base in a manner of bending back and forth corresponding to the first axis. The two second combo capacitor sets are connected to at least one side of the first mass corresponding to a second axis. The second support base is disposed between the two second combo capacitor sets. The second elastic member is connected between the first mass and the second support base in a manner of bending back and forth corresponding to the second axis. The first axis is perpendicular to the second axis.
These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.
Please refer to
The first semiconductor layer 14 includes a first mass 18, at least one first support base 20, at least one first elastic member 22, at least one first combo capacitor set 24, at least one second support base 26, at least one second elastic member 28, and at least one second combo capacitor set 30. In this embodiment, numbers of the first support base 20, the first elastic member 22, the first combo capacitor set 24, the second support base 26, the second elastic member 28, and the second combo capacitor set 30 are four respectively as shown in
In this embodiment, the first support base 20 is located two sides of the first mass 18 corresponding to a first axis (i.e. an X-axis direction as shown in
The first combo capacitor sets 24 are respectively connected to two sides of the first mass 18 corresponding to the first axis. Each first combo capacitor set 24 includes a plurality of combo capacitor boards 32 and a plurality of fixed combo capacitor boards 34. The plurality of combo capacitor boards 32 is extendedly formed from the first mass 18. The plurality of fixed combo capacitor boards 34 is fixed to the substrate 12, arranged alternatively with the plurality of combo capacitor boards 32, and parallel to the plurality of combo capacitor boards 32. Accordingly, the first semiconductor layer 14 can sense the acceleration of the first mass 18 in the second axis according to the capacity variations of the first combo capacitor sets 24. As shown in
Next, please refer to
In the said configuration, when a force is applied to the capacitive accelerometer 10 to cause the acceleration of the capacitive accelerometer 10 in the first axis, the first mass 18 moves elastically toward the first axis. At this time, the distance between the combo capacitor boards and the fixed combo capacitor boards on the second combo capacitor set 30 varies with the said elastic movement of the first mass 18 in the first axis, so as to change the capacity of the second combo capacitor set 30. Accordingly, the acceleration of the capacitive accelerometer 10 in the first axis can be determined according to the capacity variations of the second combo capacitor sets 30.
Similarly, when a force is applied to the capacitive accelerometer 10 to cause the acceleration of the capacitive accelerometer 10 in the second axis, the first mass 18 moves elastically toward the second axis. At this time, the distance between the combo capacitor boards 32 and the fixed combo capacitor boards 34 on the first combo capacitor set 24 varies with the said elastic movement of the first mass 18 in the second axis, so as to change the capacity of the first combo capacitor set 24. Accordingly, the acceleration of the capacitive accelerometer 10 in the second axis can be determined according to the capacity variations of the first combo capacitor sets 24.
Furthermore, when a force is applied to the capacitive accelerometer 10 to cause the acceleration of the capacitive accelerometer 10 in the third axis, the second mass 38 rotates relative to the rotating shaft 42 toward the third axis. At this time, the distance between the second mass 38 and the sensing electrode 36 on the substrate 12 varies with the said rotation of the second mass 38 in the third axis, so as to change the capacity between the second mass 38 and the sensing electrode 36. Accordingly, the acceleration of the capacitive accelerometer 10 in the third axis can be determined according to the capacity variations between the second mass 38 and the sensing electrode 36.
In summary, via assembly of the mass, the support bases, elastic members, and the combo capacitor sets on the first semiconductor layer 14 and assembly of the sensing electrodes on the substrate and the asymmetrically-rotatable mass on the second semiconductor layer 16, the capacitive accelerometer 10 can have a three-axis acceleration sensing function. To be noted, in this embodiment, as shown in
Next, please refer to
The first elastic member 104 is connected between the first mass 18 and the first support base 20 in a manner of bending back and forth parallel to the first axis, for providing elastic force to make the first mass 18 move elastically along the second axis when a force is applied to the first mass 18 in the second axis. In this embodiment, the bending times of the first elastic members 104 are different to each other. For example, as shown in
Next, please refer to
The first elastic member 104 has a first bending structure 210 and a first step structure 212. The first bending structure 210 is connected to the first support base 20 in a manner of bending back and forth perpendicular to the first axis. The first step structure 212 is connected between the first mass 204 and the first bending structure 212. The second elastic member 208 has a second bending structure 214 and a second step structure 216. The second bending structure 214 is connected to the second support base 26 in a manner of bending back and forth perpendicular to the second axis. The second step structure 216 is connected between the first mass 204 and the second bending structure 214. In such a manner, compared with the prior art only utilizing the bending structure to be connected to the support base and the mass, the present invention utilizes the step structure (i.e. the first step structure 212 and the second step structure 216) to be connected to the bending structure (i.e. the first bending structure 210 and the second bending structure 214) and the mass (i.e. the first mass 204) instead, so as to reduce space occupied by the first elastic member 206 and the second elastic member 208 on the first semiconductor layer 202. Accordingly, a protruding block 218 can extend from the first mass 204 corresponding to the first step structure 212 and the second step structure 216 respectively. That is, the overall weight of the first mass 204 can be increased without additionally increasing the overall volume of the first semiconductor layer 202, so as to make movement of the first mass 204 in the first axis and the second axis more sensitive. Thus, sensing linearity and sensitivity of the capacitive accelerometer 200 in the first axis and the second axis can be further improved.
It should be mentioned that the bending directions of the first elastic member 206 and the second elastic member 208 are not limited to the aforesaid embodiment. For example, the first bending structure 210 of the first elastic member 206 can change to be connected to the first support base 20 in a manner of bending back and forth parallel to the first axis, and the second bending structure 214 of the second elastic member 208 can correspondingly change to be connected to the second support base 26 in a manner of bending back and forth parallel to the second axis.
Finally, please refer to
The first combo capacitor set 304 is connected to two sides of the first mass 18 corresponding to the first axis respectively. The first support base 306 is disposed between the first combo capacitor sets 304. The second combo capacitor set 310 is connected to two sides of the first mass 18 corresponding to the second axis respectively. The second support base 312 is disposed between the second combo capacitor sets 310. Furthermore, the first elastic member 308 is connected between the first mass 18 and the first support base 306 in a manner of bending back and forth parallel to the first axis, and the second elastic member 314 is connected between the first mass 18 and the second support base 312 in a manner of bending back and forth parallel to the second axis.
In such a manner, via the said design that the elastic member is disposed between the combo capacitor sets, movement of the first mass 18 in the first axis and the second axis can be more sensitive so as to improve sensing linearity and sensitivity of the capacitive accelerometer 300 in the first axis and the second axis.
It should be mentioned that the design that the bending times of the elastic members are different to each other and the design that numbers of the combo capacitor board and the fixed capacitor board on the combo capacitor sets are different to each other can be mutually applied to the aforesaid embodiments, so as to make the structural design of the capacitive accelerometer provided by the present invention more flexible. Furthermore, the second semiconductor layer mentioned in the aforesaid embodiments can be an omissible component for simplifying the structural design of the capacitive accelerometer provided by the present invention. In other words, the capacitive accelerometer provided by the present invention can only have the first semiconductor layer for two-axis acceleration sensing.
Compared with the prior art utilizing three independent masses with the related sensing electrode components to sense accelerations in three axes independently, the present invention utilizes the configuration that the second semiconductor layer (for sensing the acceleration of the capacitive accelerometer in the third axis) is located at a side of the first semiconductor layer (for sensing the accelerations of the capacitive accelerometer in the first axis and the second axis), to prevent the capacitive accelerometer form being oversized. Furthermore, via the design for making the bending times of the elastic members different to each other or changing the bending directions of the elastic members, the design for making numbers of the combo capacitor board and the fixed combo capacitor board on the combo capacitor sets different to each other, or the design for changing the configuration of the combo capacitor sets and the elastic members, the present invention can further reduce the overall volume of the capacitive accelerometer or improve linearity and sensitivity of the capacitive accelerometer in the first axis and the second axis.
Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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100134567 | Sep 2011 | TW | national |