The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 22, 2000
Filed:
Jul. 31, 1998
Robert E Stewart, Woodland Hills, CA (US);
Arnold E Goldman, Calabasas, CA (US);
Litton Systems, Inc., Woodland Hills, CA (US);
Abstract
A precision, micro-mechanical semiconductor accelerometer of the differential-capacitor type comprises a pair of etched opposing cover layers fusion bonded to opposite sides of an etched proofmass layer to form a hermetically sealed assembly. The cover layers are formed from commercially available, Silicon-On-Insulator ('SOI') wafers to significantly reduce cost and complexity of fabrication and assembly. The functional semiconductor parts of the accelerometer are dry-etched using the BOSCH method of reactive ion etching ('RIE'), thereby significantly reducing contamination inherent in prior art wet-etching processes, and resulting in features advantageously bounded by substantially vertical sidewalls.