An embodiment of an accelerometer front-end device includes a substrate and a first proof mass coupled to the substrate and electrically coupled to a first movable electrode and electrically coupled to a first fixed electrode having a first potential and electrically coupled to a second fixed electrode having a second potential. A shield structure is coupled to the substrate, and adjacent the first proof mass, wherein the shield structure is electrically coupled to a fixed ground potential. A second proof mass is coupled to the substrate that includes a second movable electrode that is electrically coupled to a third fixed electrode having a third potential and is electrically coupled to a fourth fixed electrode having a fourth potential, wherein the second proof mass is electrically coupled to the fixed ground potential.

An inertial sensor includes a proof mass spaced apart from a surface of a substrate. The proof mass has a first section and a second section, where the first section has a first mass that is greater than a second mass of the second section. An anchor is coupled to the surface of the substrate and a spring system is interconnected between the anchor and the first and second sections of the proof mass. The spring system enables translational motion of the first and second sections of the proof mass in response to linear acceleration forces imposed on the inertial sensor in any of three orthogonal directions.

A MEMS acceleration detection device including a housing having a cavity and a spring mass system assembled into the cavity of the housing. A lid enclosing the spring mass system in the cavity and contacting a top surface of the housing.

A MEMS accelerometer incorporating a metrology element to directly measure minute changes in measurement baseline. In particular, the MEMS accelerometer incorporates a metrology bar (MB). Embodiments also relate to stress isolation into the sensor design to isolate the sensitive areas of the chip (i.e., the metrology baseline and the proof mass mounting points) from outside stress.

A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a beam, a movable structural body, a first stopper member, a second stopper member and a third stopper member. The first stopper member is arranged with a first gap from the movable structural body in an in-plane direction. The second stopper member is arranged with a second gap from the movable structural body in an out-of-plane direction. The third stopper member is arranged opposite to the second stopper member with the movable structural body interposed therebetween in the out-of-plane direction, and is arranged with a third gap from the movable structural body. Consequently, there can be provided a semiconductor device in which excessive displacement of the movable structural body can be suppressed to thereby suppress damage to and breakage of the beam supporting the movable structural body, and a method of manufacturing the same.

This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for making and using accelerometers. Some such accelerometers include a substrate, a first plurality of electrodes, a second plurality of electrodes, a first anchor attached to the substrate, a frame and a proof mass. The substrate may extend substantially in a first plane. The proof mass may be attached to the frame, may extend substantially in a second plane and may be substantially constrained for motion along first and second axes. The frame may be attached to the first anchor, may extend substantially in a second plane and may be substantially constrained for motion along the second axis. A lateral movement of the proof mass in response to an applied lateral acceleration along the first or second axes may result in a change in capacitance at the first or second plurality of electrodes.

An inertial sensor includes a proof mass spaced apart from a surface of a substrate. The proof mass has a first section and a second section, where the first section has a first mass that is greater than a second mass of the second section. An anchor is coupled to the surface of the substrate and a spring system is interconnected between the anchor and the first and second sections of the proof mass. The spring system enables translational motion of the first and second sections of the proof mass in response to linear acceleration forces imposed on the inertial sensor in any of three orthogonal directions.

An accelerometer as disclosed herein includes a support wafer, a bottom wafer, a top wafer, and an inductive pick-off. The support wafer may define a plane and may comprise a first side, a second side, and a proof mass. The proof mass may be configured to move in the plane defined by the support wafer. The bottom wafer may comprise a first side and a second side, and the first side may be positioned over the first side of the support wafer. The top wafer may comprise a first side and a second side, and the first side may be positioned over the second side of the support wafer. The inductive pick-off may comprise a near field resonant conductive coupling mechanism and may be configured to output a signal indicative of an amount of displacement of the proof mass to electronics.

A dynamic quantity sensor includes: a support portion with a fixed electrode; a plate-shaped fixing portion fixed to the support portion; a beam portion supported by the fixing portion and extending in one direction; a first weight on one side of the fixing portion in an other direction, coupled to the beam portion, and providing a space between a connecting portion and a tip portion by coupling the connecting portion connecting to the beam portion and the tip portion opposite to the beam portion through a coupling portion extending in the other direction; and a second weight portion opposite to the first weight portion and coupled to the beam portion. The first weight portion has a length larger than the second weight portion. A dynamic quantity is detected based on a change in a capacitance between the fixed electrode and each of the first and second weight portions.

A force sensor including a support, a test body, two strain gauges, mechanical transmission means between the test body and the strain gauges so that a movement of the test body applies a strain onto the strain gauges in a first direction of the plane of the sensor, the transmission means being hinged relative to the support about a second direction in the plane of the sensor, the test body being accommodated within a first volume, the strain gauges being accommodated within a second volume, insulated by sealed insulation means. The sensor includes a sacrificial layer, a nanometric layer, a protective layer and a micrometric layer. The test body and at least one portion of the support are formed in the substrate, the sealed insulation means are partially formed by the nanometric layer and by the sacrificial layer, and the strain gauges are formed in the nanometric layer.