Sony Corporation

Kazuhiro Matsuhisa

Masaya Nagata

Koji Fukumoto

Atsuhito Yasui

Hiroshi Nishitake

A micromachine successfully reduced in parasitic capacity between input and output electrodes, and having an oscillator configured as ensuring a high S/N ratio under operation at higher frequencies is disclosed. The micromachine comprises an insulating layer formed on a substrate; a first electrode for signal input formed on the insulating layer; a second electrode for signal output formed on the insulating layer; and an oscillator electrode formed as being opposed with the first electrode and the second electrode and as being spaced therefrom by an air gap, wherein the insulating layer has a groove formed therein at least between the first electrode and the second electrode.

Micromachine and method of fabricating the same

An inertial sensor and a fabrication method of an inertial sensor are provided. An inertial sensor includes: an elastic support whose one end is supported by a support part disposed on a substrate; an oscillator which is supported by the other end of the elastic support as it is separated from the substrate; and a displacement detecting part which detects a displacement of the oscillator to output a signal, wherein the oscillator is formed with one or both of a groove and a through hole in a direction in parallel with a drive direction of the oscillator.

Inertial sensor and fabrication method of inertial sensor

An angular velocity detector using a vibrator made of an annular thin film. The detector also has electrodes arranged ingeniously to have high detection sensitivity for angular velocities. The detector can detect angular velocities in two axial directions simultaneously. The detector has support portions (), () which are formed over a first substrate () and poised above the surface of the first substrate () at a certain spacing therefrom. Resilient support bodies are supported to the support portions and include outer springs () and inner springs (). A vibrator () is mounted via the resilient support. An exciting means consisting of a magnet () and an exciting electrode () excites the vibrator to vibrate in a certain direction of vibrations. When the vibrator () is excited to vibrate in the direction of vibrations by the exciting means and an angular velocity acts from the outside, a displacement detection means consisting of a detection electrode () and electrodes () detects the displacement of the vibrator () in a direction perpendicular to the direction of vibrations in response to the angular velocity. The vibrator () or an angular velocity detection portion including the vibrator () is electromagnetically driven to vibrate.

Angular velocity detector, method of detection of angular velocities using angular velocity detector, and method of fabricating angular velocity detector

A MEMS sensor driving device drives a MEMS sensor including a supporter provided on a surface of a substrate, an elastic member having one end connected to the supporter, and an oscillator which is supported by another end of the elastic member in a suspended state over the surface of the substrate and which is displaceable for the substrate. The MEMS sensor driving device includes a detecting unit for detecting an oscillation of the oscillator, and a feedback unit for amplifying a signal representing the oscillation detected by the detecting unit and inputting the amplified signal as a driving signal to the MEMS sensor.

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Kazuhiro Matsuhisa