Messerschmitt-bolkow-blohm Gmbh

Eads Deutschland Gmbh

Other

Daimler Chrysler Ag

Conti Temic Microelectronic Gmbh

Deutsche Aerospace Ag

Temic Telefunken Microelectronic Gmbh

Henning Völlm

Helmut Seidel

Ulrich Prechtel

Josef Schalk

Peter Peuser

Walter Kroy

Matthias Aikele

Karin Bauer

Nikolaus Peter Schmitt

Peter Deimel

Axel Mehnert

Ralf Voss

Stefan Heinemann

Erwin Stenzel

Albert Engelhardt

Alois Friedberger

Thorsteinn Halldorsson

Bernhard Schmid

Rainer Freitag

Matthias Rose

Oliver Nagler

Reinhold Hilpert

Max Koniger

Peter Knittl

Peter Gluche

Manfred Weinacht

Paul Zeller

Winfried Kupke

Fritz Hofmann

Florian Binder

Marcus Frey

Andreas Schütze

Konrad Kapser

Roland Hilser

Ulrich Schmid

Bernhard Hartmann

Karl K&uuml;hl

Eduard Dette

Gunter Muck

Dieter Bosch

Sebastian Toelg

Dara Feili

Cells having cavities and the manufacture and use of the same are described. An example cell includes a first layer including a gap to at least partially define a cavity and a reservoir area to receive material to enter the cavity by diffusion. Additionally, the cell includes one or more other layers coupled to the first layer to at least partially define the cavity and to hermetically seal the cavity from an exterior environment.

Cells having cavities and the manufacture and use of the same

A mechanical particle filter comprises a membrane having a plurality of pores. At least one partial region of the surface of the membrane, that is accessible for the medium to be filtered, includes a carbon material having a diamond structure.

Particle filter and manufacturing method therefor

To form an isolation structure in a semiconductor substrate, at least two trenches are formed with a rib therebetween in the semiconductor substrate, and then the semiconductor material in the area of the trenches and particularly the rib is converted to an electrically insulating material. For example, this is accomplished by thermal oxidation of silicon semiconductor material of the rib.

Method for producing insulation structures

A micromechanical capacitive acceleration sensor is described for picking up the acceleration of an object in at least one direction. The sensor includes a frame structure (), a sensor inertia mass () made of a wafer and movably mounted relative to the frame structure () about a rotation axis, and a capacitive pick-up unit () for producing at least one capacitive output signal representing the position of the sensor mass () relative to the frame structure (). The sensor inertia mass () has a center of gravity which offset relative to the rotation axis in a direction perpendicularly to a wafer plane for measuring accelerations laterally to the wafer plane. The sensor mass () and the frame structure () are made monolithically of one single crystal silicon wafer. A cover section () forms a common connector plane () for the connection of capacitor electrodes (). Torqueable elements () form an electrically conducting bearing device for the sensor mass ().

Micromechanical capacitive acceleration sensor

A self-testing sensor (especially to measure an angular rate or acceleration) includes a resonant structure, an actor unit configured to excite the structure to a first periodic vibration, a piezoresistive element configured to generate an output signal that depends on the measured quantity, and an isolator configured to isolate a test signal component from the output signal, whereby the test signal component is generated by a second periodic vibration of the structure superposed on the first vibration. A device for self-testing a sensor includes an isolator configured to isolate a test signal component superposed on a useful signal component from the periodic output signal of the sensor, and it includes a comparator configured to compare the test signal component with a predefined value or a test signal fed to the sensor. For the self-test, a second periodic vibration is superposed on a first vibration of the structure, and an output signal containing information on the measured quantity is determined. A test signal component contained in the output signal is monitored.

Sensor having a resonance structure, especially an acceleration or rotation rate sensor, and a device for carrying out a self-test

A micromechanical enclosure suitable for micromechanical sensors, particularly acceleration sensors in the field of automotive vehicles, includes a micromechanical structure on a substrate, a conductor track layer connected to the micromechanical structure on the main surface of the substrate, a cover that covers a part of the main surface of the substrate, and a level compensation layer arranged next to the conductor track layer beneath the contact area during the manufacture of the wafer. A planarizing layer, which forms a level surface, may additionally be applied above this, to form a level area on the substrate which can easily be joined to a level area of the cover by means of a metallic wafer bond. This achieves small overall dimensions and avoids a glass frit bond.

Micromechanical enclosure

A rate of rotation sensor is suggested which is structured out of silicon (silicon compounds or silicon/glass compounds) or other semiconductor materials by means of micromechanical techniques. The rate of rotation sensor has the form of a tuning fork whose prongs are situated in planes in parallel to the surface of the semiconductor wafer. These prongs are exited to carry out vibrations in a plane perpendicular to the wafer plane. By means of a sensor element which registers the torsion of the tuning fork suspension, the angular velocity of a rotation of the sensor about an axis in parallel to the tuning fork suspension is measured.

Micromechanical rate of rotation sensor (DRS)

A microsensor with a resonator structure, which is excited by first electrical signals to oscillate and emits second electrical signals in dependence on the measuring variable, wherein a heating element, supplied with at least one of the first electrical signals, is arranged on the resonator structure for the thermal excitations of oscillations. For the thermal excitation of lateral oscillations in a microsensor with a resonator structure, the microsensor is provided at one oscillating part of the resonator structure with at least two regions that are thermally separated by a zone with reduced heat conductance, and the heating element is arranged on one of the regions. This type of arrangements permits the excitation of the resonator structure to lateral oscillations if the heating element is supplied with corresponding current pulses. It is advantageous if a receiving element is arranged on at least one of the other regions to detect the oscillation amplitude.

Microsensor with a resonator structure

A system for measuring acceleration in three axes comprises four individual sensors arranged in a rectangle on a common substrate with each having one main sensitivity axis. Each individual sensor has a seismic mass in the form of a cantilevered paddle connected by a bending beam to an outer frame and having a center of gravity. Each beam is arranged parallel to the substrate surface and each contains means for measuring the bending that occurs when acceleration forces act upon the system. The actual acceleration occurring on each axis can then be determined as a function of the error angle formed between the sensitivity axis and the normal to the substrate surface.

System for the measurement of acceleration in three axes

The invention relates to a method for producing a microsystem and from it forming a microsystem laser, which preferably has a vertical structural element by contacting of wafer plates, which carry different functional elements of a system, so that this system on the one hand thus includes heterogeneous functions such as actuators, optics, sensors, cooling systems, micromechanics and electronics, and on the other hand, the wafer carrying these functions permits a relatively homogeneous processing of quite similar functions integrated each on one wafer, so that the complexity of the system is created for the first time for the vertical arrangement of these functions.

Method for producing a microsystem and forming a microsystem laser

The invention provides a laser system with one or several micro-mechnically produced, actively controlled laser mirrors which are provided with an actuation device, so that the rapid manipulation of small laser mirrors is assured. The mirrors are designed so that they permit an economical production in large numbers.

Laser system with a micro-mechanically moved mirror

Micromechanical actuator

Integrated microsystem comprising electrical and nonelectrical, particularly optical functions in a laser system, wherein a base comprising anisotropically etchable semiconducting material on which etching structures for receiving optical and/or electro-optical and electrical/electronic and/or fluidic and/or mechanical elements or their mountings are arranged in predetermined distances and/or levels, as well as integrated switching circuits, and that at least a part of the optical, electro-optical or mechanical elements or their mounting is controllable and movable electrically in such a way that its position relative to the base is actively changeable, and that at least one sensor is provided which determines the effect of the position change on the function of at least a part of a microsystem and supplies a signal for repeated readjustment (self-adjusting) of optical elements and their mounting.

Integrated microsystem

A micromechanical structure with cavities, containers, openings, canals, depressions, humps or the like for examinations of sample substances for possible changes of physical and/or chemical properties with targeted evaluation and documentation for the purposes of biotechnology, gene technology, cell and immune research and other medical, agricultural and environment research, where the structure consists of semiconducting material (of the group III to V of the elements of the periodic system) or contain the latter or glass or ceramic, diamond, or carbon and is made by a masking technique, especially by a chemical etching technique.

Micromechanical structure

A strapdown measuring unit for measuring the angular velocities about the three axes of a flying body rotating relatively fast about its first axis is disclosed. The unit combines a Sagnac effect sensor for roll rate determination and two micro-mechanical acceleration sensors whose output, combined mathematically with the output of the Sagnac effect sensor, determines the angular velocity of the remaining two axes. The mathematical calculations are performed by a dedicated microprocessor which is integrated with the three sensors into a single small unit.

Strapdown measuring unit for angular velocities

Growing community of inventors

Starnberg, Germany

Helmut Seidel