IP Library Granted Patent US 9,890,037
Granted Patent B2
US 9,890,037 · App. 15/502,554 · Granted Feb 13, 2018

Physical quantity sensor

Inventors: Masatoshi Kanamaru (Tokyo, JP); Masahide Hayashi (Ibaraki, JP); Masashi Yura (Ibaraki, JP); Heewon Jeong (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
B81B7/0064G01C19/574B81B2201/0235B81B2201/0242B81B2201/0264B81B2201/045B81B2203/0136
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,890,037
App. No.
15/502,554
Granted
Feb 13, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

For a small sensor produced through a MEMS process, when an electrode pad, wiring, or a shield layer is formed in a final step, it is difficult to nondestructively investigate whether a structure for sensing a physical quantity has been processed satisfactorily. In the present invention, in a physical quantity sensor formed from an MEMS structure, in a structure in which a surface electrode having through wiring is formed on the surface of an electrode substrate and the periphery thereof is insulated, forming a shield layer comprising a metallic material on the surface of the electrode substrate in a planar view and providing a space for internal observation inside the shield layer makes it possible to check for internal defects.

Claims (19)

1. A physical quantity sensor, comprising:

a lamination structure in which a first substrate and a second substrate are laminated;

an electrode pad and a wiring formed on a surface of the first substrate;

a sensing portion formed on the second substrate; and

a conductive film formed on a surface of the first substrate, electrically insulated with respect to the electrode and the wiring, and held at a constant potential, wherein

the conductive film includes a peep portion to observe the sensing portion,

the sensing portion comprises movable comb teeth and fixed comb teeth,

a fixed electrode is formed in the second substrate and is electrically connected to a through hole surface electrode that is formed on an electrode substrate via a first electrode,

a movable electrode is formed in the second substrate and is electrically connected to a through hole surface electrode that is formed in the electrode substrate via a second electrode,

a fixed electrode is electrically connected to the fixed comb teeth,

a movable electrode is electrically connected to the movable comb teeth,

a sensing space is defined in the second substrate as a sealed space by the first substrate and the electrode substrate, and

in the sensing space, a pressure ranges from 10000 Pa to 50000 Pa.

2. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 1 , wherein

a shield layer comprises the peep portion in an area where the fixed comb teeth and the movable comb teeth are projected with respect to the shield layer in a lamination direction.

3. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the peep portion is a thin wall portion in which a thickness of the shield layer is thinner than other portions or a portion in which the shield layer is not provided.

4. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 3 , wherein all of a substrate material include a silicon material.

5. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 3 , wherein the first substrate and the peep portion transmit infrared rays.

6. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 3 , wherein the peep portion is polygonal.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 25, 2021
From: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
To: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.
Reel/Frame 056299/0447 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 8, 2017
From: KANAMARU, MASATOSHI; HAYASHI, MASAHIDE; YURA, MASASHI; JEONG, HEEWON
To: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 041201/0105 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2014-182853 · Sep 9, 2014 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20170233246A1 · Aug 17, 2017