The invention relates to an acceleration sensor (100) having a sensor material (120) which is mounted by means of spring elements (130) so as to be movable along a movement axis (x) over a substrate (110), first trim electrodes (140) which are connected to the sensor material (120), and second trim electrodes (150) which are connected to the substrate (110) and are associated with the first trim electrodes (140). When the sensor material is deflected along the movement axis, a spring force acting on the sensor material (120) is generated by the spring elements (130), and when the sensor material (120) is deflected, au electrostatic three acting on the sensor material (120), which counteracts the spring force, is generated by application of an electrical trim voltage between the first trim electrodes (140) and the second trim elements (150).

A microelectromechanical sensor assembly includes a semiconductor die having a scaled cavity. A microelectromechanical inertial sensor has a sensing mass. A piezoelectric vibration sensor has a piezoelectric membrane. The sensing mass and the piezoelectric membrane are stacked one on top of the other and housed in the sealed cavity.

A MEMS inertial sensor device, method of operation, and fabrication process are described with a MEMS inertial sensor, drive actuation unit, drive measurement unit, and PLL circuit coupled together in operational engagement, where the MEMS inertial sensor includes a substrate, a proof mass positioned in spaced apart relationship above the substrate, a proof mass suspension member connected on a first end to the proof mass and connected on a second end to an anchor fixed to the substrate to enable the proof mass to laterally oscillate over the surface of the substrate, and a compliant stop structure positioned in relation to the proof mass suspension member to physically engage with lateral oscillating movement of the proof mass suspension member past a desired stroke travel distance without physically preventing lateral oscillating movement of the proof mass, thereby stiffening a spring stiffness measure of the proof mass suspension member.

MEMS devices fabricated using inexpensive substrate materials such as paper or fabric, are provided. Using paper as a substrate, low cost, simple to prepare, lightweight, disposable piezoresistive sensors, including accelerometers are prepared. Signal-processing circuitry can also be patterned on the substrate material. The sensors can be utilized as two-dimensional sensors, or the paper substrate material can be folded to arrange the sensors in a three dimensional conformation. For example, three sensors can be patterned on a paper substrate and folded into a cube such that the three sensors are orthogonally positioned on the faces of a cube, permitting simultaneous measurement of accelerations along three orthogonal directions (x-y-z). These paper-based sensors can be mass produced by incorporating highly developed technologies for automatic paper cutting, folding, and screen-printing. Also provided are methods of modifying paper for use as a substrate material in MEMS devices.

Disclosed is a semiconductor device comprising a stack of patterned metal layers separated by dielectric layers, the stack comprising a first conductive support structure and a second conductive support structure and a cavity in which an inertial mass element comprising at least one metal portion is conductively coupled to the first support structure and the second support structure by respective conductive connection portions, at least one of said conductive connection portions being designed to break upon the inertial mass element being exposed to an acceleration force exceeding a threshold defined by the dimensions of the conductive connection portions. A method of manufacturing such a semiconductor device is also disclosed.

A method of controlling exposed glass charging in a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) device is disclosed. The method includes providing a MEMS device comprising a proof mass positioned apart from at least one sense plate and at least one outboard metallization layer, wherein at least one conductive glass layer is coupled to the sense plate and the outboard metallization layer, the conductive glass layer including at least one exposed glass portion near the proof mass; and applying a first voltage to the sense plate and a second voltage to the outboard metallization layer. The first voltage is separated from the second voltage by a predetermined voltage level such that the exposed glass portion has an average voltage corresponding to a voltage midway between the first voltage and the second voltage.

A motion sensing system uses high-voltage biasing to achieve high resolution with ultra-low power. The motion sensing system consists of a motion sensor, a readout circuit, and a high-voltage bias circuit to generate the optimized bias voltage for the motion sensor. By using the high-voltage bias, the signal from the motion sensor is raised above the readout circuit's noise floor, eliminating the power-hungry amplifier and signal-chopping used in conventional motion sensing systems. The bias circuit, while producing the programmable bias voltages for the motion sensor, also compensates for the process mismatch raised by the high voltage biases.

Disclosed is a semiconductor device comprising a stack of patterned metal layers separated by dielectric layers, the stack comprising a first conductive support structure and a second conductive support structure and a cavity in which an inertial mass element comprising at least one metal portion is conductively coupled to the first support structure and the second support structure by respective conductive connection portions, at least one of said conductive connection portions being designed to break upon the inertial mass element being exposed to an acceleration force exceeding a threshold defined by the dimensions of the conductive connection portions. A method of manufacturing such a semiconductor device is also disclosed.

A shock detection system for the battery pack of an electric vehicle, where the shock detection system uses at least one passive sensor, such as a knock sensor, for vibration detection. This sensor has large design freedom on the battery pack, either inside or outside, and is connected to the system for data treatment and data analysis. In addition to the knock sensor, the shock detection system also includes tuning forks located on the battery pack, where each tuning fork has a specific resonance frequency. During operation, when there is a shock or impact to the battery pack, each tuning fork resonates at a specific frequency, and the passive knock sensor detects these frequencies. The knock sensor then sends these frequency spectrums to the ECU of the electric vehicle, the ECU then determines the amplitude of the different frequencies and calculates the intensity and position of the impact using triangulation.

A method for detecting orientation of an integrated circuit is disclosed. The method includes moving, in response to a gravitational force, a mobile metallic piece in an evolution zone of a housing. The housing is formed in an interconnect region of the integrated circuit. The housing includes walls defining the evolution zone. The walls are formed within multiple metallization levels of the interconnect region. The walls include a floor wall and a ceiling wall. At least one of the floor wall and ceiling wall incorporate a pointed element directing its pointed region towards the mobile metallic piece. The pointed element delimits an open crater in a concave part of a projection. The method further includes creating an electrical signal by movement of the mobile metallic piece at a plurality of electrically conducting elements positioned at boundary points of the evolution zone and detecting the electrical signal by a detector.