Micro-mechanical semiconductor accelerometer
US6105427A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 31, 1998 |
| Grant date | Aug 22, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 31, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01P2015/0828
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A precision, micro-mechanical semiconductor accelerometer of the differential-capacitor type comprises a pair of etched opposing cover layers fusion bonded to opposite sides of an etched proofmass layer to form a hermetically sealed assembly. The cover layers are formed from commercially available, Silicon-On-Insulator ("SOI") wafers to significantly reduce cost and complexity of fabrication and assembly. The functional semiconductor parts of the accelerometer are dry-etched using the BOSCH method of reactive ion etching ("RIE"), thereby significantly reducing contamination inherent in prior art wet-etching processes, and resulting in features advantageously bounded by substantially vertical sidewalls.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.