Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.v.

Tsukasa Fujimori

Yuko Hanaoka

Hiroshi Fukuda

Natsuki Yokoyama

Yasushi Goto

Heewon Jeong

Takafumi Matsumura

Toshihiko Fukamachi

Hideaki Tanaka

Takashi Azuma

Takashi Oshima

Hideaki Kurata

Jun Hayakawa

Masayuki Kurita

Akira Kuriyama

Masahiro Yoshida

Takuma Nishimura

Masatoshi Morishita

Kiyoko Yamanaka

Yasuyuki Okuma

Akinori Nishide

Noriaki Satoh

Munenori Degawa

Hideaki Takano

Reiso Sasaki

Masashi Murai

A sound inspection system that can reduce power consumption is provided. A sound inspection systemthat determines a state based on a sound of an inspection target objectincludes a sound sensor devicethat collects the sound of the inspection target object, analyzes the collected sound, and transmits an analysis result, and a sound data determination devicethat determines a state of the inspection target object based on the analysis result from the sound sensor device. The sound sensor device transmits, as the analysis result, intensities of the collected sound for each predetermined frequency set in advance.

Sound inspection system and sound inspection method

According to one embodiment, a sensor system includes a sensor node that collects data; and a data collection apparatus that is wirelessly connected to the sensor node. The sensor node encrypts the sensor data measured by the sensor device using the received encryption key according to the received measurement parameter and transmits the encrypted sensor data to the data collection apparatus. The data collection apparatus decrypts the sensor data received from the sensor node, stores the decrypted sensor data in a storage unit when the sensor data is normally decrypted, and discards non-decrypted sensor data and transmits the measurement parameter and the encryption key to the sensor node when the sensor data is not normally decrypted.

Sensor system for collecting data using an encryption key

There is provided a fluid detection device that detects a flow velocity or a flow rate of a fluid flowing through a piping, the fluid detection device including: a sound detection unit that detects a sound from the piping, and outputs a frequency signal; a signal processing unit that calculates a strength ratio of the frequency signal on the basis of the frequency signal and a predetermined reference frequency signal; and a data conversion unit that obtains the flow velocity or the flow rate on the basis of the strength ratio of the frequency signal and a predetermined fluid characteristic function.

Detection device and detection method, and fluid control system

Provided is a wireless sensor node which includes a sensor to convert a physical quantity into an electric signal to measure the physical quantity, a filter to extract a signal containing a predetermined frequency from the electric signal, a transmitter to transmit data based on the frequency extracted by the filter, a receiver to receive a command to be transmitted from an outside in a wireless manner, and a control unit to control a frequency to be extracted by the filter based on the command.

Wireless sensor terminal, wireless sensor system, and sensor data collection method

An autonomous power supply system includes a generation control circuit which controls power generation efficiency of a power generation element, a group of storage elements for charging electric power generated by the power generation element, and a charging control circuit which controls a charging operation and a discharging operation of the storage element group. The storage element group includes a primary storage element for supplying electric power to the generation control circuit and the charging control circuit, and secondary storage elements for supplying electric power to a loading device. The electric power generated by the power generation element charges the primary storage element preferentially, and the secondary storage elements subsequent to the primary storage element. A capacity value of the primary storage element is set to be smaller than a capacity value of the secondary storage elements.

Autonomous power supply system

An object of the present invention is to enhance the reliability of an MEMS sensor formed on a semiconductor integrated circuit device. To achieve this object, a semiconductor device of the present invention comprises: a semiconductor integrated circuit device; a lower passivation film of silicon nitride, etc. . . . formed on the semiconductor integrated circuit device and having high moisture resistance and high chemical resistance; a MEMS portion formed on the lower passivation film and including a cavity; and an upper passivation filmformed on the top surface of the MEMS portion such that the MEMS portion is hermetically sealed by the upper and lower passivation films.

Semiconductor device carrying micro electro mechanical system

In the manufacturing technology of an integrated MEMS in which a semiconductor integrated circuit (CMOS or the like) and a micro machine are monolithically integrated on a semiconductor substrate, a technology capable of manufacturing the integrated MEMS without using a special process different from the normal manufacturing technology of a semiconductor integrated circuit is provided. A MEMS structure is formed together with an integrated circuit by using the CMOS integrated circuit process. For example, when forming an acceleration sensor, a structure composed of a movable mass, an elastic beam and a fixed beam is formed by using the CMOS interconnect technology. Thereafter, an interlayer dielectric and the like are etched by using the CMOS process to form a cavity. Then, fine holes used in the etching are sealed with a dielectric.

Integrated micro electro-mechanical system and manufacturing method thereof

Provided is a MEMS device which is robust to the misalignment and does not require the double-side wafer processing in the manufacture of a MEMS device such as an angular velocity sensor, an acceleration sensor, a combined sensor or a micromirror. After preparing a substrate having a space therein, holes are formed in a device layer at positions where fixed components such as a fixing portion, a terminal portion and a base that are fixed to a supporting substrate are to be formed, and the holes are filled with a fixing material so that the fixing material reaches the supporting substrate, thereby fixing the device layer around the holes to the supporting substrate.

Method of manufacturing micro electro mechanical systems device

As well as achieving both downsizing and thickness reduction and sensitivity improvement of a semiconductor device that has: a MEMS sensor formed by bulk micromachining technique such as an acceleration sensor and an angular rate sensor; and an LSI circuit, a packaging structure of the semiconductor device having the MEMS sensor and the LSI circuit can be simplified. An integrated circuit having MISFETs and wirings is formed on a silicon layer of an SOI substrate, and the MEMS sensor containing a structure inside is formed by processing a substrate layer of the SOI substrate. In other words, by using both surfaces of the SOI substrate, the integrated circuit and the MEMS sensor are mounted on one SOI substrate. The integrated circuit and the MEMS sensor are electrically connected to each other by a through-electrode provided in the SOI substrate.

Semiconductor device with integrated circuit electrically connected to a MEMS sensor by a through-electrode

The objects of the present invention are to form MEMS structures of which stress is controlled while maintaining the performance of high-performance LSI, to integrate MEMS Structures and LSI on a single chip, to electrically and chemically protect the MEMS structure and to reduce the stress of the whole movable part of the MEMS structure. To achieve the above objects, a silicide film formable at a low temperature is used for the MEMS structure. The temperature at the silicide film deposition Tis selected optionally with reference the heat treatment temperature Tand the pseudo-crystallization temperature T. T, the temperature of manufacturing process after the silicide film deposition, is determined does not cause the degradation of the characteristics of the high-performance LSI indispensable. Thus, the residual stress of the MEMS structures may be controlled.

Controlling stress in MEMS structures

A weight of an inertial sensor if formed from a plurality of divided weights, and the divided weights are connected to each other by elastically deformable beams. A movable range and a mass of each of the divided weights and a rigidity of each of the beams are adjusted and a plurality of deformation modes having different sensitivity ranges with respect to the acceleration are used in combination. By this means, it is possible to improve a detecting sensitivity of an acceleration and widen an acceleration response range.

Inertial sensor and manufacturing method of the same

Embodiments of the present invention help to improve the cost, mountability, and reliability of a magnetic disk drive that regulates a fly height of a magnetic head slider correspondingly to the operating altitude of the drive by using an air pressure sensor and a heater. According to one embodiment, a preamplifier is a semiconductor chip formed by three-dimensionally laminating thin film circuits on a bulk silicon wafer. An air pressure sensor is integrally formed on the semiconductor chip through a semiconductor process. The air pressure sensor is configured to include an isolating cavity, a diaphragm that deflecting in response to a change in a pressure difference between the isolating cavity and the outside, and lower and upper electrodes and for detecting variation in electrostatic capacitance. The preamplifier including the air pressure sensor integrally formed therein is attached to a flexible printed cable (FPC) to oppose the FPC. A through-hole is provided in a portion opposite the air pressure sensor of the FPC to introduce air pressure in an operating environment into a diaphragm of the air pressure sensor.

Magnetic disk drive, preamplifier for magnetic disk drive, flexible printed cable assembly for magnetic disk drive

A sensor and sensor module with small power consumption and high reliability are disclosed. The sensor includes a capacitor having a capacitance varying with a physical quantity, a capacitance-voltage conversion circuit for converting the capacitance of the capacitor into a voltage, and a control signal generation circuit for generating a plurality of control signals. The capacitor has a frequency-capacitance characteristic with a resonant frequency. In a measurement of the physical quantity, the capacitance of the capacitor is measured with one of the control signals having a first frequency which is much higher or much lower than the resonant frequency. In a self-diagnosis of the sensor, the capacitance of the capacitor is measured with another one of the control signals having a second frequency which is equal or close to the resonant frequency.

Growing community of inventors

Kokubunji, Japan

Tsukasa Fujimori