Seiko Epson Corporation

Satoru Tanaka

Teruo Takizawa

Kazuyuki Nagata

Shota Kigure

Makoto Furuhata

Seiji Yamazaki

Shogo Inaba

Shigekazu Takagi

Atsuki Naruse

Tomokazu Umeno

A physical quantity sensor includes a fixed portion, a support beam, a movable body, and a first fixed electrode group. The movable body is coupled to the other end of the support beam, and the first fixed electrode group is provided at a substrate and arranged in a first direction of the support beam. The movable body includes a first coupling portion, a first base portion, and a first movable electrode group. The first movable electrode group faces the first fixed electrode group in a second direction. Further, hm=hr, where hm is a height of a gravity center position of the movable body in a third direction and hr is a height of a rotation center of the support beam in the third direction.

Physical quantity sensor and inertial measurement unit

A physical quantity sensor includes first and second fixed electrode sections on a substrate, a first movable electrode section having a movable electrode opposite a fixed electrode of the first fixed electrode section, a second movable electrode section having a movable electrode opposite a fixed electrode of the second fixed electrode section, first and second fixed sections fixed to the substrate, a first support beam having one end coupled to the first fixed section, a first coupling section coupling the other end of the first support beam and the first movable electrode section, a second support beam having one end coupled to the second fixed section, and a second coupling section coupling the other end of the second support beam and the second movable electrode section. The first movable electrode section, the second fixed section, the first fixed section, and the second movable electrode section are disposed side by side.

Physical quantity sensor and inertial measurement device

A physical quantity sensor detects a physical quantity in a third direction, and includes a fixer fixed to a substrate, a support beam having one end coupled to the fixer, and a movable body. The movable body includes a movable electrode unit and a frame unit. The fixed electrode unit includes a first fixed electrode group and a second fixed electrode group. The movable electrode unit includes a first movable electrode group and a second movable electrode group. A first recess recessed in the third direction is provided in the first movable electrode group, a second recess recessed in the third direction is provided in the second fixed electrode group, and a third recess recessed in the third direction is provided in a region of the frame unit on a second movable electrode group side.

Physical quantity sensor, inertial measurement unit, and manufacturing method

A physical quantity sensor includes: a first fixed electrode portion; a first movable electrode portion; a first fixed portion fixed to a substrate; a first support beam having one end coupled to the first fixed portion; a second support beam having one end coupled to the first fixed portion; and a first coupling portion coupling the other end of the first support beam and the other end of the second support beam to the first movable electrode portion. In a plan view in a third direction orthogonal to the substrate, the first movable electrode portion and the first fixed portion are disposed along a first direction, the first support beam and the second support beam are disposed along a second direction, and the first coupling portion includes a first portion disposed along the second direction side by side with the first support beam and the second support beam, and a second portion coupled to the first portion and the first movable electrode portion and disposed along the first direction.

A physical quantity sensor includes a substrate that has a first fixed electrode and a movable body that has a first mass portion facing the first fixed electrode. The first mass portion includes a first region, and a second region farther from the rotation axis than the first region, a first through-hole group is provided in the first region, and a second through-hole group is provided in the second region, and the movable body has a first surface on a substrate side, and a second surface. The first surface of the first mass portion is provided with a step or a slope such that a first gap distance of a first gap between the first mass portion and the first fixed electrode in the first region is smaller than a second gap distance of a second gap between the first mass portion and the first fixed electrode in the second region. A depth of through-holes of the first through-hole group and the second through-hole group is smaller than a maximum thickness of the movable body.

Physical quantity sensor, physical quantity sensor device, and inertial measurement unit

An inertial sensor includes, provided that axes X, Y, and Z are three axes perpendicular to one another, a substrate, a fixed section fixed to the substrate, a movable element that swings around a swing axis extending along the axis Y, a first beam and a second beam that link the fixed section to the movable element and are torsionally deformed by the swing motion of the movable element, and a detection electrode that is disposed on the substrate and overlaps with the movable element in the plan view along the axis-Z direction, and the first beam and the second beams differ in shape from each other and have the same torsional spring constant.

Inertial sensor, electronic instrument, and vehicle

The physical quantity sensor includes a substrate having several areas, a movable body, and a detection electrode. The detection electrode straddles the several areas. When setting a first imaginary straight line which is the smallest in an angle formed with an X-axis direction of imaginary straight lines connecting two of end parts on respective areas of the detection electrode, and a second imaginary straight line extending along a principal surface of the movable body in a maximum displacement state around the oscillation axis, the first and second imaginary straight lines fail to cross each other in an area between a first normal line which passes the end part of the first one of the several areas and a second normal line which passes the end part of the last one of the several areas.

Physical quantity sensor, electronic apparatus, and vehicle

In an inertial sensor, a first movable body configured to swing around a first rotation axisrotation axis along a first direction has an opening; the opening includes a second movable body configured to swing around a second rotation axisrotation axis along a second direction, a second support beam supporting the second movable body as the second rotation axisrotation axis, a third movable body configured to swing around a third rotation axisrotation axis along the second direction, and a third support beam supporting the third movable body as the third rotation axisrotation axis; and a protrusion is provided at a surface facing the second movable body and the third movable body, or at the second movable body and the third movable body, the protrusion protruding toward the second movable body and the third movable body or the surface.

Inertial sensor and inertial measurement unit

An inertial sensor includes a substrate, a first supporting beam being a first rotation axis extending along a first direction, a first movable member swingable around the first rotation axis, a second supporting beam being a second rotation axis extending along a second direction crossing the first direction, a second movable member swingable around the second rotation axis, a third rotation axis extending along a second direction, a third movable member swingable around the third rotation axis, and a projection, wherein the second and third movable members are line-symmetrically placed with a center line of the first movable member along the second direction as an axis of symmetry, a center of gravity of the second movable member is closer to the center line than the second supporting beam, and a center of gravity of the third movable member is closer to the center line than the third supporting beam.

Inertial sensor, electronic apparatus, and vehicle

A physical quantity sensor includes a substrate, a movable body that faces the substrate, a fixed portion that is fixed to the substrate, and a support beam that couples the movable body to the fixed portion. The movable body is displaceable with the support beam as a rotation axis, and includes, in a plan view, a first mass that is located on one side of a second direction with respect to the rotation axis, and a second mass that is located on the other side. Each of the first mass and the second mass has a plurality of through-holes which penetrate through the movable body and each of which has a square shape as an opening shape. When damping is indicated by C, and a minimum value of the damping is indicated by Cmin, C&#x2264;1.5&#x2264;Cmin.

Physical quantity sensor having a movable body formed with through-holes to reduce a difference between the inside-hole damping and the squeeze film damping

A physical quantity sensor includes, when three directions orthogonal to one another are defined as a first direction, a second direction, and a third direction, a substrate; and a moving member facing the substrate in the third direction via a gap and becoming displaced in the third direction in relation to the substrate. The moving member has a first region that has a plurality of penetration holes penetrating the moving member in the third direction and having a square opening shape as viewed from the third direction, and a second region having no penetration hole. At least one of a length in the first direction and a length in the second direction of the second region is equal to or greater than S0+2&#xd7;S1, where S0 is a length of one side of the penetration hole, and S1 is a space between the penetration holes next to each other.

A physical quantity sensor includes a substrate, a pair of first elements detecting acceleration in a first direction, and a pair of second elements detecting an acceleration in a second direction. The first element portion includes a first movable portion displaceable in the first direction, first and second movable electrode fingers disposed in the first movable portion, first and second fixing electrode fingers disposed to face the first and second movable electrode fingers, and first and second support portions supporting the first and second fixing electrode fingers. The second element includes a second movable portion displaceable in the second direction, third and fourth movable electrode fingers disposed in the second movable portion, third and fourth fixing electrode fingers disposed to face the third and fourth movable electrode fingers, and third and fourth support portions supporting the third and fourth fixing electrode fingers.

Physical quantity sensor, physical quantity sensor device, electronic apparatus, portable electronic apparatus, and vehicle

An inertial sensor, includes: a substrate; a fixing portion that is provided on the substrate; a first movable body that faces the substrate and that is displaceable with a first support beam as a first rotation axis; the first support beam that is arranged in a first direction and that couples the first movable body and the fixing portion; a second movable body that is displaceable due to deformation of a second support beam; the second support beam that is arranged in a second direction intersecting the first direction and that couples the first movable body and the second movable body; and a protrusion that is provided on the substrate or the second movable body, overlaps the second movable body in plan view from a third direction and that protrudes toward the second movable body or the substrate.

Inertial sensor, electronic device, and movable body

An inertial sensor includes: a substrate; a fixing part arranged at one surface of the substrate; a moving element having an opening and configured to swing about a rotation axis along a first direction; a support beam supporting the moving element as the rotation axis in the opening of the moving element; and a support part supporting the support beam. The support part includes a first part fixed to the fixing part, and a second part formed only of a part not fixed to the fixing part. A length in the first direction of the second part is longer than a length in the first direction of the first part.

An inertial sensor includes a substrate, a movable element that swings around a swing axis; and a protrusion that overlaps with the movable element in the plan view and protrudes from the substrate toward the movable element. The protrusion includes a first protrusion and a second protrusion so located as to be farther from the swing axis than the first protrusion, and when the movable element swings relative to the substrate around the swing axis, the first protrusion and the second protrusion come into contact with the movable element at the same time or the first protrusion comes into contact with the movable element and then the second protrusion comes into contact with the movable element.

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Chino, Japan

Satoru Tanaka