A physical quantity sensor includes a substrate, an element portion disposed so as to overlap the substrate, a conductor pattern disposed on the substrate so as to face the element portion, and a protection film covering at least a part of an exposed portion of the conductor pattern exposed from element portion in a plan view from a direction in which the substrate and the element portion overlap.

A MEMS sensor comprising preloaded suspension springs and a method for mechanically preloading suspension springs of a MEMS sensor are described. The MEMS sensor comprises a MEMS support structure; a plurality of suspension springs connected to the support structure; and, a proof mass flexibly suspended by the suspension springs; wherein at least one of the suspension springs is mechanically preloaded with a compressive force for reducing the natural frequency of said proof mass.

A servo control signal is binarized using a digital delta-sigma modulator. The digital delta-sigma modulator forms a feedback loop including a digital adder/subtractor, a digital integrator, and a one-bit quantizer to perform pulse-density modulation of the input servo control signal and output the signal as a binary value of +1 or 1.

A capacitive accelerometer comprises: a substantially planar proof mass mounted to a fixed substrate by flexible support legs so as to be linearly moveable in an in-plane sensing direction. The proof mass comprises first and second sets of moveable capacitive electrode fingers. First and second sets of fixed capacitive electrode fingers interdigitates with the first and second sets of moveable electrode fingers respectively. A set of moveable damping fingers extend from the proof mass substantially perpendicular to the sensing direction, laterally spaced in the sensing direction. A set of fixed damping fingers mounted to the fixed substrate interdigitates with the set of moveable damping fingers and comprises an electrical connection to the proof mass so that the interdigitated damping fingers are electrically common. The damping fingers are mounted in a gaseous medium that provides a damping effect.

There is provided a resonant sensor comprising: a substrate; a proof mass suspended from the substrate by one or more flexures to allow the proof mass to move relative to the frame along a sensitive axis; a first and a second resonant element connected between the frame and the proof mass; wherein the proof mass is positioned between the first and the second resonant element along the sensitive axis, and wherein the first and the second resonant elements have a substantially identical structure to one another; and drive and sensing circuitry comprising: a first electrode assembly coupled to first drive circuitry configured to drive the first resonant element in a first mode; a second electrode assembly coupled to second drive circuitry configured to drive the second resonant element in a second mode, different to the first mode; and a sensing circuit configured to determine a measure of acceleration.

A physical quantity sensor has a first movable section, a second movable section that has a rotational moment, which is generated when acceleration is applied, that is different from the first movable section, a movable section that is supported so as to be able to rock about an axis which is positioned between the first movable section and the second movable section, a first detection electrode which is arranged so as to oppose the first movable section, a second detection electrode which is arranged so as to oppose the second movable section, and a frame-form section which is arranged so as to surround at least a portion of the periphery of the movable section in planar view of the movable section and which has the same potential as the movable section.

A MEMS system includes a proof mass, an anchor, an amplifier, first and second sense elements and their corresponding feedback elements. The proof mass moves responsive to a stimulus. The anchor coupled to the proof mass via a spring. The amplifier receives a proof mass signal from the proof mass and amplifies the signal to generate an output signal. The first sense element is connected between the proof mass and a first input signal and the second sense element is connected between the proof mass and a second input signal. The second input signal has a polarity opposite to the first input signal. The first feedback element is connected between the proof mass and the output signal and its charges change responsive to proof mass displacement. The second feedback element is connected between the proof mass and the output signal and its charges change in response to proof mass displacement.

A mask includes a substrate, a light-reflecting structure, a patterned layer, and a plurality of bumps. The substrate has a first surface and a second surface. The light-reflecting structure is located on the first surface of the substrate. The patterned layer is located on the light-reflecting structure. The bumps are located on the second surface of the substrate. The bumps define a plurality of voids therebetween and protrude in a direction away from the second surface of the substrate.

Provided is a sensor that is highly accurate while ensuring reduced power consumption. A sensor is an electronic circuit that includes a sensor element, an analog filter, an A/D converter, and first and second electronic circuit. The analog filter filters a waveform that includes a sensor signal from the sensor element and noise based on a servo signal. The A/D converter converts the waveform filtered by the analog filter into a first digital signal. The first electronic circuit includes a digital filter and acquires a second digital signal by performing signal processing including at least a filtering process on the servo signal by using the digital filter. The second electronic circuit acquires a third digital signal by subtracting the second digital signal from the first digital signal. A setting for the signal processing for acquiring the second digital signal is changed on the basis of the third digital signal.

Provided is an acceleration sensor capable of realizing a simultaneous operation method of signal detection and servo control in place of a time-division processing method, by an MEMS process in which a manufacturing variation is large. The acceleration sensor is an MEMS capacitive acceleration sensor and has capacitive elements for signal detection and capacitive elements for servo control different from the capacitive elements for the signal detection. A voltage to generate force in a direction reverse to a detection signal of acceleration by the capacitive elements for the signal detection is applied to the capacitive elements for the servo control. Further, the acceleration sensor includes a variable capacity unit compensating for a mismatch of capacity values of the capacitive elements for the servo control at an ASIC side, detects a leak signal due to the mismatch of the capacity values in an ASIC, controls a capacity value of the variable capacity unit, on the basis of a detection result, compensates for an influence of the mismatch of the capacity values, and executes a normal signal detection/servo control simultaneous operation.