Honeywell International Inc.

Other

John Stanley Starzynski

Jayaraman R Iyer

Paul W Dwyer

John A MacPherson

Alan H Huggins

Dennis L Lantz, Jr

Keith R Erb

In some examples, the disclosure describes an accelerometer having improved hysteresis effects, the accelerometer including a proof mass assembly including a proof mass, a support structure, and a flexure flexibly connecting the proof mass to the support structure to allow the proof mass to move about the plane defined by the support structure. Some examples may include at least one thin film lead including an electrically conductive material on the flexure, where the at least one thin film lead provides an electrical connection between an electrical component on the support structure and an electrical component on the proof mass, and where the at least one thin film lead comprises at least one of a yield strength greater than pure gold or a thermal expansion coefficient less than pure gold.

Reducing hysteresis effects in an accelerometer

A method of making a resonating beam accelerometer (RBA). In an example process, a proof mass device and resonators are created from a quartz material. A direct bond is formed between the proof mass and the resonators by applying a predefined amount of pressure at a predefined temperature for a predefined amount of time. One or more damping plates are created from a quartz material. A direct bond is formed between the damping plates and the proof mass device. The proof mass device is created by applying a predefined amount of pressure at pressure at temperature to two bases, two proof mass portions, and a flexure. The proof mass bases are on opposite sides of the flexure. The proof mass portions are on opposite sides of the flexure. A gap is present between the proof mass bases and the proof mass portions.

Resonating beam accelerometer

Methods for making a sensitive resonating beam accelerometer

An accelerometer for reducing undesired attraction or repulsion forces between a proof mass and a cover. An exemplary accelerometer includes a proof mass, a base, a flexure that flexibly attaches the proof mass to the base, at least one double-ended tuning fork (DETF) attached at one end to the proof mass and at another end to the base, and a housing structure that encloses the proof mass within a cavity. A layer of graphene is located on at least a portion of the nonconductive surfaces within the housing structure. The nonconductive surfaces include a surface on the proof mass, the housing structure, the base, the flexure, or the DETF. The layer of graphene is attached to a heat sink and/or to an electrical charge dissipation component.

Methods and apparatus for improving performance of an accelerometer

According to the present invention, after manufacture of a disconnect fuse circuit, windows are opened in the insulating film overlying the second interconnect layer at all possible disconnection points, the disconnection points preferably being an exposure window that is aligned over a disconnect fuse circuit that includes a via that electrically connects electrical conductors disposed on different respective layers. This insulating film may consist of one or more layers of one or more materials, but preferentially consists of a single layer of silicon oxide. The wafer is then stored for later configuration. When the wafer is to be configured, a non-precision mask is manufactured. The wafer is coated with photoresist and patterned using the mask to produce disconnection holes in the photoresist at the desired disconnection points. Since the area over the desired disconnection points are free of the insulating film overlying the second patterned interconnect layer, the etching process can be limited to etch techniques which are optimized to etch metal with selectivity to the insulating film. The areas at the disconnection sites that are covered by the insulating film are further protected during the etch process, since the insulating film acts as an etch barrier to inhibit the etching of active circuit elements in proximity to the desired disconnect points.

Vertical fuse structure for integrated circuits containing an exposure window in the layer over the fuse structure to facilitate programming thereafter

Growing community of inventors

North Bend, WA, United States of America

John Stanley Starzynski