Commissariat &#xc0; L'&#xc9;nergie Atomique Et Aux &#xc9;nergies Alternatives

Loic Joet

Patrice Rey

Samer Dagher

Guillaume Jourdan

Thierry Verdot

Federico Maspero

Philippe Robert

Franck Badets

Thierry Hilt

Bertrand Delaet

Audrey Berthelot

Stephane Fanget

Théo Miani

A microelectromechanical microphone including a microphone unit made from a first substrate, the microphone unit including a movable element capable of being displaced under the effect of a pressure difference and a device for measuring the displacement of the movable element, a cover made from a second substrate, the cover having a first recess, first device for electrically connecting the measurement device to a control unit, the microphone unit and the cover delimiting between them a vacuum space housing the measurement device and a first cavity, from the first recess, partly closed by the movable element, the vacuum space and the first cavity being insulated in a sealed manner from each other, the microphone including a device for mechanically transmitting the displacement of the movable element to the measurement device and a sealed insulation element through which the transmission device passes.

Microelectromechanical microphone with reduced overall size

A MicroElectroMechanical System is provided, with an active element configured to carry out an electromechanical function, the active element including, from an upper face to a lower face substantially parallel to the upper face, an active layer, a core layer, and a retention layer, the active layer being configured to, under the effect of a first electric signal, go into a mechanically stressed state, configured to generate a bending of the active element in a direction perpendicular to a front face thereof, and vice versa, the active layer, the core layer, and the retention layer being arranged so that a neutral axis, associated with an elongation of zero in a case of bending of the active element, is located in a volume of one or the other of the core layer and of the retention layer, and the core layer further includes at least 20% recesses in its volume.

Electromechanical microsystem comprising an active element having a structured core layer

A hinge for a microelectromechanical system includes a fixed part and a part movable relative to the fixed part along at least an out-of-plane direction, the hinge being intended to suspend the moving part from the fixed part. The hinge includes a first rigid part, a second part fixed to the first part at one end and intended to be anchored to the fixed part or the moving part. The second part deforms in bending in a first direction, two third parts are fixed to the first part and are anchored to the moving part or the fixed part, and the third parts deform in bending along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

Out-of-plane hinge for micro and nanoelectromechanical systems with reduced non-linearity

A hinge for a micromechanical and/or nanomechanical structure includes: a support, and a movable part in an out-of-plane direction. The hinge allows for the out-of-plane displacement of the movable part. The hinge further includes two torsion beams extending along the axis of rotation of the hinge, two bending elements mechanically connecting the movable part and the support and having at least one pair of a first and of a second beam parallel with each other and extending in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation, the first beam being connected to the support and the second beam being connected to the movable part, the first and second beams being connected to one another by a first connecting element at a longitudinal end, the two beams extending in the same direction from the first connecting element.

Hinge offering a reduced sensitivity to internal stresses

Disclosed is a hinged MEMS and/or NEMS device with out-of-plane movement including a first portion and a second portion that is hinged so as to be able to rotate with respect to the first portion about an axis of rotation contained in a first mean plane of the device. The device also includes a hinging element that connects the first portion and the second portion and that is stressed flexurally and a sensing element that extends between the first portion and the second portion and that deforms during the movement of the second portion. Finally, the device includes two blades that extend perpendicularly to the mean plane of the hinge device and parallel to the axis of rotation, the blades being placed between the hinging element and the sensing element and connecting the first portion and the second portion and being stressed torsionally during the movement of the second portion.

Hinged microelectromechanical and/or nanoelectromechanical device with out-of-plane movement

A hinge between a support and a movable part in an out-of-plane direction of a microelectromechanical structure includes two torsion beams, and two bending elements connecting the movable part and the support and each comprising two beams extending perpendicularly to the axis of rotation. Each beam is connected to the support by a first end and to the movable part by a second end, the first ends and the second ends of the beams being disposed with respect to one another in such a way that the orientation of the first end towards the second end of one beam is opposite to the orientation of the first end towards the second end of the other beam.

Out-of-plane hinge for a micromechanical and/or nanomechanical structure with a reduced sensitivity to internal stresses

A magnetic field gradient sensor includes a support and a structure having at least a first and a second mobile element, at least one magnetic sensor, each magnetic sensor being mechanically secured to one of the first and/or second mobile elements so as to be able to apply a mechanical force to the structure in the presence of a magnetic field gradient, a coupler for coupling between the first and second mobile elements so that the structure can be moved in at least one balanced mechanical mode in the presence of a magnetic field gradient, and a sensor for measuring the movement of the structure at least in balanced mode.

Magnetic field gradient sensor with reduced sensitivity to vibrations

Microelectromechanical sensor comprising a fixed part and a mobile part suspended from the fixed part such that the mobile part can move at least in an out-of-plane displacement direction, the fixed part comprising at least first electrodes extending parallel to the displacement direction of the mobile part, the mobile part comprising a seismic mass and at least second electrodes extending parallel to the out-of-plane displacement direction, the first electrodes and the second electrodes being located relative to each other so as to be interdigitated, in which the second electrodes are directly connected to the inertial mass and only part of the face of each mobile electrode is facing an electrode fixed at rest.

Microelectromechanical or/and nanoelectromechanical device with out-of-plane displacement having capacitive elements having a variable surface

A hinge between a first part and a second part of a microelectromechanical system including a first element and a second element free to move relative to each other in an out-of-plane direction is disclosed. The hinge includes a first rigid part; a second part fixed to a first face of the first part by one end and anchored to the second element by a second end, the second part deforming in bending in the out-of-plane direction; and a third part fired to a first face of the first part by a second end, and anchored to the first element by a second end, the third part deforming in bending in the out-of-plane direction. In an undeformed state, the second part and the third part each includes one face located in the same plane orthogonal to the out-of-plane direction.

Hinge for micro and nanoelectromechanical systems with out-of-plane displacement and reduced non-linearity

Microelectromechanical sensor with an out-of-plane detection has a cross sensitivity in a first direction in the plane with a value of S, the sensor comprising a support, a mass suspended from the support by beams stressed by bending, in such a way that the inertial mass is capable of moving with respect to the support about an axis of rotation contained in a plane of the sensor, a stress gauge suspended between the mass and the support. The bending beams have a dimension tin the out-of-plane direction and the mass has a dimension tin the out-of-plane direction such that Lis the distance between the centre of gravity of the mass and the centre of the bending beams projected onto the first direction.

Microelectronic sensor device with an out-of-plane detection having a controlled cross sensitivity

A device transmits a movement and a force between a first zone and a second zone which are insulated from one another in a sealed manner. The device includes a planar support, a transmission element that is rotatably movable with respect to the support by a pivot joint having an axis of rotation that is parallel to a plane of the support, an opening in the support through which the transmission element passes and level with which the pivot joint is positioned. The transmission element includes at least one first transmission arm on one side of the plane of the support and one second transmission arm on the other side of the plane of the support, and sealed insulation positioned in the opening, such that it insulates the first zone from the second zone in a sealed manner and allows the rotational movement of the transmission element.

Device for transmitting a movement and a force between two zones that are insulated from one another

Microelectromechanical and/or nanoelectromechanical device comprising a support and at least one moveable element so as to be able to be displaced translationally with respect to the support, a means (G) for translationally guiding said element, said guiding means (G) comprising two rigid arms (), a rotating articulation () between each arm () and the moveable element () and a rotating articulation () between each arm () and the support, the guiding means (G) also comprising a coupling articulation () between the two arms having at least rotating articulation, said rotating articulations having axes of rotation at least parallel with each other such that during a translational displacement of the moveable element () the arms () pivot with respect to each other in opposite directions, the rotating articulations being made by torsionally deformable beams.

Microelectromechanical device with at least one translationally guided moveable element

Dynamic pressure sensor of MEMS and/or NEMS type comprising a support and a rigid sensitive element anchored to the support by at least one anchoring zone, said sensitive element comprising a parallel first and a second face intended to be subjected to different pressures, said sensitive element being capable of having an out-of-plane displacement with respect to the support in a detection direction under the effect of a pressure difference, the pressure sensor also comprising a detector of a force applied to the sensitive element by the pressure difference.

MEMS and/or NEMS dynamic pressure sensor with improved performances and microphone comprising such a sensor

A measurement circuit for a sensor, the measurement circuit includes at least one detection branch including at least a first series of at least one dipole and a second series of at least one dipole, the series being connected in parallel and connected at their inputs to a common input terminal, each series of dipole being connected to a distinct output terminal, and an electronic circuit including a bias circuit configured to apply a bias current to the detection branch from the input terminal, and a read circuit configured to impose on each output terminal the same potential referred to as the 'reference potential' (V); the electronic circuit including a determination circuit for determining variations in impedances of each series of dipole of the detection branch on the basis of the current applied to each output terminal by the read circuit so as to keep the potentials equal.

Measurement circuit

A device with a mobile element extending along a given plane comprising at least one first, one second and one third layers extending in planes parallel to the given plane, with the first layer forming a support, the second layer comprising all or a portion of the mobile element and means for suspending the mobile element with respect to the support and the third layer comprising all or a portion of the capacitive means of which the capacitance varies according to the relative position of the mobile element with respect to the support, said capacitive means comprising at least one mobile electrode integral with one of the faces of the mobile element parallel to the given plane, and at least one fixed electrode with respect to the support, with the fixed and mobile electrodes being arranged at least partially in the same plane parallel to the given plane and at least partially above and/or below the mobile element.

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Grenoble, France

Loic Joet