Granted Patent B2

US 9,291,638 · App. 13/745,723 · Granted Mar 22, 2016

Inventors: Raymond Merrill, Jr. (San Ramon, CA); Anthony Flannery, Jr. (Los Gatos, CA); Shingo Yoneoka (San Jose, CA)

Assignee: mCube, Inc.

G01P15/125G01P15/08G01P15/0802G01P21/00G01P2015/0831

Abstract

Claims (59)

1. A method for providing acceleration data, with reduced substrate-displacement bias, from an accelerometer comprising

a substrate,

an asymmetrically weighted MEMS transducer disposed on the substrate, the MEMS transducer having a first transducer portion, a second transducer portion, and a transducer axis of rotation, wherein the first transducer portion is longer than the second transducer portion,

at least one symmetrically weighted MEMS compensation structure disposed on the substrate, the MEMS compensation structure having a first compensation portion, a second compensation portion, and a compensation axis of rotation, wherein the first compensation portion and the second compensation portion are equal in length, wherein the MEMS compensation structure is configured such that the compensation axis of rotation is coincident with the transducer axis of rotation,

and a compensation circuit disposed on the substrate, the compensation circuit being coupled to the MEMS transducer and the MEMS compensation structure,

wherein the substrate is subject to a substrate displacement, the method comprising:

receiving in the accelerometer an external acceleration;

determining the acceleration data with reduced substrate displacement bias in the compensation circuit in response to a first displacement indicator and a second displacement indicator from the MEMS transducer and in response to substrate compensation factors from the MEMS compensation structure; and

outputting the acceleration data with reduced substrate displacement bias from the compensation circuit;

wherein the first displacement indicator and the second displacement indicator are determined by the MEMS transducer relative to the substrate in response to the external acceleration and to the substrate displacement; and

wherein the substrate compensation factors are determined by the MEMS compensation structure relative to the substrate in response to the substrate displacement.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate displacement is imparted by a factor selected from a group consisting of: a thermal stress, a packaging stress, and a mounting stress.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the substrate displacement comprises a time-varying substrate displacement.

4. The method of claim 1

wherein the first displacement indicator is determined in response to a change in a first distance between the first portion of the MEMS transducer relative to the substrate; and

wherein the second displacement indicator is determined in response to a change in a second distance between the second portion of the MEMS transducer relative to the substrate.

5. The method of claim 1

wherein the first displacement indicator is determined in response to a change in a first capacitance between the first portion of the MEMS transducer relative to the substrate; and

wherein the second displacement indicator is determined in response to a change in a second capacitance between the second portion of the MEMS transducer relative to the substrate.

6. The method of claim 1

wherein the substrate compensation factors are determined in response to: a change in a first capacitance between the first portion of the MEMS compensation structure relative to the substrate, and to a change in a second capacitance between the second portion of the MEMS compensation structure relative to the substrate.

7. The method of claim 1

wherein the external acceleration comprises an normal acceleration component, wherein the normal acceleration component is normal to a surface of the substrate; and

wherein the first displacement indicator and the second displacement indicator are determined by the MEMS transducer relative to the substrate in response to the normal acceleration component and to the substrate displacement.

8. The method of claim 1

wherein the external acceleration comprises an planar acceleration component, wherein the planar acceleration component is parallel to a surface of the substrate; and

wherein the first displacement indicator and the second displacement indicator are determined by the MEMS transducer relative to the substrate in response to the planar acceleration component and to the substrate displacement.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the acceleration data is determined free from a direct temperature measurement of the accelerometer.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining an operating temperature of the accelerometer; and

wherein determining the acceleration data is also in response to the operating temperature.

11. An accelerometer disposed upon a substrate for outputting acceleration data with reduced substrate-displacement bias comprises:

a symmetrically weighted calibration sensor coupled to the substrate, the calibration sensor having a first calibration portion, a second calibration portion, and a calibration axis of rotation, wherein the first calibration portion and the second calibration portion are equal in length, wherein a substrate calibration displacement is determinable between the calibration sensor relative to the substrate in response to a substrate displacement;

an asymmetrically weighted MEMS transducer coupled to the substrate, the MEMS transducer having a first transducer portion, a second transducer portion, and a transducer axis of rotation, wherein the first transducer portion is longer than the second transducer portion, wherein the calibration sensor is configured such that the calibration axis of rotation is coincident with the transducer axis of rotation, wherein a first displacement and a second displacement are determinable between the first transducer portion and the second transducer portion of the MEMS transducer, respectively, relative to the substrate in response to the substrate displacement and to an external acceleration; and

a compensation circuit coupled to the substrate, to the calibration sensor, and to the MEMS transducer, wherein the compensation portion is configured to determine acceleration data with reduced substrate-displacement bias in response to the substrate calibration displacement, to the first displacement, and to the second displacement, and configured to output the acceleration data with reduced substrate displacement bias.

12. The accelerometer of claim 11

wherein the first displacement is associated with a first capacitance;

wherein the second displacement is associated with a second capacitance;

wherein the substrate calibration displacement is associated with at least a third capacitance.

13. The accelerometer of claim 11 wherein the compensation circuit comprises one or more amplifiers.

14. The accelerometer of claim 13

wherein the compensation portion is configured to determine the acceleration data with reduced substrate-displacement bias in response to an input signal having an input duty cycle; and

wherein the acceleration data with reduced substrate-displacement bias comprises an output signal having an output duty cycle.

15. The accelerometer of claim 14 wherein

wherein the acceleration data with reduced substrate-displacement bias is determined in response to the input duty cycle and the output duty cycle.

16. A method of forming a MEMS accelerometer comprises:

forming a first electrode, a second electrode, a third electrode and a fourth electrode upon a first substrate;

forming an asymmetrically weighted MEMS transducer upon a second substrate, wherein the MEMS transducer comprises a fifth electrode and a sixth electrode, wherein the MEMS transducer includes a first transducer portion, a second transducer portion, and an axis of rotation, wherein the first transducer portion is longer than the second transducer portion;

forming a symmetrically weighted substrate displacement sensor upon the second substrate, wherein the substrate displacement portion comprises a seventh electrode and an eighth electrode, wherein the substrate displacement sensor includes a first displacement portion and a second displacement portion that are equal in length, wherein the axis of rotation of the MEMS transducer is substantially similar to an axis of rotation of the substrate displacement sensor;

bonding the first substrate to the second substrate, wherein a first capacitor is formed between the first electrode and the fifth electrode, wherein a second capacitor is formed between the second electrode and the sixth electrode, wherein a third capacitor is formed between the third electrode and the seventh electrode, and wherein a fourth capacitor is formed between the fourth electrode and the seventh electrode;

forming a compensation circuit upon the substrate, wherein the compensation circuit is coupled to the first capacitor, the second capacitor, the third capacitor, and the fourth capacitor.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the substrate displacement portion is within the MEMS transducer.

18. The method of claim 16

wherein the first electrode comprises a first vertical surface and the third electrode comprises a second vertical surface; and

wherein the first capacitor comprises the first vertical surface and the second vertical surface.

19. The method of claim 16

wherein the first electrode comprises a first horizontal surface and the third electrode comprises a second horizontal surface; and

wherein the first capacitor comprises the first horizontal surface and the second horizontal surface.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein forming the MEMS transducer upon the second substrate, comprises performing a reactive ion etch.

Assignments (10)

Continuity (2)