Patent · US Expired

Semiconductor accelerometer

US5504356A · kind A · utility

35Cited by
4References
25Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 16, 1993
Grant dateApr 2, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 16, 2013

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01P15/0802
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

This invention aims at providing a novel semiconductor accelerometer comprising a smaller number of substrates and a production method thereof. An insulating film is formed on a main plane of a P-type silicon substrate, and a beam-like movable electrode is formed on the insulating film. Fixed electrodes are then formed on both sides of the movable electrode in self-alignment with the movable electrode by diffusing an impurity into the P-type silicon substrate, and the insulating film below the movable electrode is etched and removed. There is thus produced a semiconductor accelerometer comprising the P-type silicon substrate 1, the movable electrode 4 having the beam structure and disposed above the P-type silicon substrate 1 with a predetermined gap between them, and the fixed electrodes 8, 9 consisting of the impurity diffusion layer and formed on both sides of the movable electrode 4 on the P-type silicon substrate 1 in self-alignment with the movable electrode 4. This sensor can detect acceleration from the change (increase/decrease) of a current between the fixed electrodes 8 and 9 resulting from the displacement of the movable electrode 4 due to acceleration.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.