公开(公告)号：US20180038887A1

公开(公告)日：2018-02-08

申请号：US15228229

申请日：2016-08-04

申请人： Analog Devices, Inc.

发明人： Xin Zhang ,  William A. Clark ,  Michael Judy

IPC分类号： G01P15/125

CPC分类号： G01P15/125 ,  B81B2201/0235 ,  B81B2203/0127 ,  G01P15/18 ,  G01P2015/084

摘要： A microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) accelerometer is described. The MEMS accelerometer may comprise a proof mass configured to sense accelerations in a direction parallel the plane of the proof mass, and a plurality of compensation structures. The proof mass may be connected to one or more anchors through springs. The compensation structures may be coupled to the substrate of the MEMS accelerometer through a rigid connection to respective anchors. A compensation structure may comprise at least one compensation electrode forming one or more lateral compensation capacitors. The compensation capacitor(s) may be configured to sense displacement of the anchor to which the compensation structures is connected.

公开(公告)号：US20140260611A1

公开(公告)日：2014-09-18

申请号：US13835416

申请日：2013-03-15

申请人： ANALOG DEVICES, INC.

发明人： Houri Johari-Galle ,  William A. Clark

IPC分类号： G01C19/56

CPC分类号： G01C19/56 ,  G01C19/5677 ,  G01C19/5684 ,  G01C19/5698

摘要： Various embodiments include feedback circuits for tuning the drive modes of a shell-type gyroscope, while other embodiments include separate circuits for tuning the sense mode of a shell-type gyroscope to reduce or avoid quadrature errors. Still other embodiments include circuits to excite the sense modes (i.e., the out-of-plane modes) of a gyroscope without requiring the application of a rotation to the gyroscope, to ensure that the sense modes are aligned with the sense electrodes.

摘要翻译： 各种实施例包括用于调谐壳型陀螺仪的驱动模式的反馈电路，而其他实施例包括用于调谐壳型陀螺仪的感测模式的分离电路，以减少或避免正交误差。 其他实施例包括用于激励陀螺仪的感测模式（即，平面外模式）的电路，而不需要向陀螺仪施加旋转，以确保感测模式与感测电极对准。

公开(公告)号：US20130167642A1

公开(公告)日：2013-07-04

申请号：US13775849

申请日：2013-02-25

申请人： Analog Devices, Inc.

发明人： Jinbo Kuang ,  William A. Clark ,  John A. Geen

IPC分类号： G01P15/09

CPC分类号： G01C19/56 ,  G01C19/5677 ,  G01P15/09 ,  Y10T29/42

摘要： An inertial sensor includes driving piezoelectric transducers for enabling an oscillation of a resonator, sensing piezoelectric transducers for enabling a detection of a movement of the inertial sensor, and piezoelectric compensating elements substantially equidistantly among the driving and the sensing piezoelectric transducers, wherein the compensating elements and the resonator form corresponding capacitors having capacitive gaps, and wherein, during the oscillation of the resonator, changes in electrostatic charges stored in the capacitors are measured with the compensating elements and are modified so as to modify the oscillation of the resonator.

摘要翻译： 惯性传感器包括驱动压电换能器，用于实现谐振器的振荡，感测压电换能器，以便能够检测惯性传感器的运动，以及压电补偿元件在驱动和感测压电换能器之间基本上等距离，其中补偿元件和 谐振器形成具有电容间隙的相应的电容器，并且其中，在谐振器的振荡期间，用补偿元件测量存储在电容器中的静电电荷的变化，并且被修改以便改变谐振器的振荡。

公开(公告)号：US11112269B2

公开(公告)日：2021-09-07

申请号：US16029841

申请日：2018-07-09

申请人： Analog Devices, Inc.

发明人： William A. Clark

IPC分类号： G01C25/00 ,  G01P21/00 ,  G01C19/5656 ,  G01P15/08 ,  G01P15/125

摘要： Techniques for self-testing of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) inertial sensors are described. Some techniques involve testing inertial sensor characteristics such as an accelerometer's sensitivity to acceleration and a gyroscope's sensitivity to angular motion. The tests may be performed by providing a test signal, which simulates a stimulus such as an acceleration or angular rate, to a MEMS inertial sensor and examining the sensor's output. The efficacy of such self-tests may be impaired by spurious signals, which may be present in the sensor's environment and may influence the sensor's output. Accordingly, the self-testing techniques described herein involve detecting the presence of any such spurious signals and discarding self-test results when their presence is detected. In some embodiments, the presence of spurious signals may be detected using a signal obtained by mixing the response of the MEMS inertial sensor with a reference signal substantially in quadrature with the test signal.

公开(公告)号：US20180231580A1

公开(公告)日：2018-08-16

申请号：US15890835

申请日：2018-02-07

申请人： Analog Devices, Inc.

发明人： William A. Clark

IPC分类号： G01P15/125 ,  G01P15/18

CPC分类号： G01P15/125 ,  B81B2201/0235 ,  B81B2203/0307 ,  B81B2203/04 ,  G01P15/18 ,  G01P2015/0817 ,  G01P2015/084

摘要： A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) accelerometer is described. The MEMS accelerometer is arranged to limit distortions in the detection signal caused by displacement of the anchor(s) connecting the MEMS accelerometer to the underlying substrate. The MEMS accelerometer may include masses arranged to move in opposite directions in response to an acceleration of the MEMS accelerometer, and to move in the same direction in response to displacement of the anchor(s). The masses may, for example, be hingedly coupled to a beam in a teeter-totter configuration. Motion of the masses in response to acceleration and anchor displacement may be detected using capacitive sensors.

公开(公告)号：US20150122024A1

公开(公告)日：2015-05-07

申请号：US14073160

申请日：2013-11-06

申请人： Analog Devices, Inc.

发明人： William A. Clark

IPC分类号： G01P15/125

CPC分类号： G01P15/125 ,  G01P21/00 ,  G01P2015/0814 ,  G01P2015/0868

摘要： An accelerometer has a movable mass suspended above a substrate, and a variable acceleration capacitor supported by the substrate. The movable mass has a mass anchor securing the mass to the substrate, while the acceleration capacitor has both a stationary finger extending from the substrate, and a movable finger extending from the movable mass. The accelerometer also has a variable stress capacitor, which also includes the stress finger, for determining movement of the mass anchor relative to the substrate.

摘要翻译： 加速度计具有悬浮在基板上方的可移动质量块和由基板支撑的可变加速电容器。 可移动质量块具有将质量块固定到基板的质量锚，而加速电容器具有从基板延伸的固定指状物和从可移动块延伸的可移动指状物。 加速度计还具有可变应力电容器，其也包括应力指，用于确定质量锚相对于衬底的移动。

公开(公告)号：US20130168675A1

公开(公告)日：2013-07-04

申请号：US13775335

申请日：2013-02-25

申请人： Analog Devices, Inc.

发明人： Vineet Kumar ,  William A. Clark ,  John A. Geen ,  Edward Wolfe ,  Steven Sherman

IPC分类号： B81B7/00 ,  B81C1/00

CPC分类号： B81B7/0029 ,  B81C1/00333 ,  B81C99/0045 ,  G01C19/5776 ,  H01L22/14

摘要： Detecting and/or mitigating the presence of particle contaminants in a MEMS device involves including MEMS structures that in normal operation are robust against the presence of particles but which can be made sensitive to that presence during a test mode prior to use, e.g., by switching the impedance of sensitive structures between an exceptionally sensitive condition during test and a normal sensitivity during operation; surrounding sensitive nodes with guard elements that are at the same potential as those nodes during operation, thereby offering protection against bridging particles, but are at a very different potential during test and reveal the particles by their resulting leakage currents; extending the sensitive nodes to interdigitate with or otherwise extend adjacent to the guard structures, which neither contribute to nor detract from the device operation but cover otherwise open areas with detection means during test; and/or converting benign areas in which particles might become trapped undetectably by electric fields during test to field-free regions by extending otherwise non-functional conductive layers so that the particles can then be moved into detection locations by providing some mechanical disturbance.

摘要翻译： 检测和/或减轻MEMS器件中颗粒污染物的存在涉及包括在正常操作中抵抗颗粒的存在而鲁棒的MEMS结构，但是在使用之前的测试模式期间可以使其对该存在敏感，例如通过切换 在测试期间异常敏感的条件和操作期间的正常灵敏度之间的敏感结构的阻抗; 周围的敏感节点具有在运行期间与那些节点处于相同电位的保护元件，从而提供防止桥接颗粒的保护，但在测试期间处于非常不同的电位并且通过其产生的泄漏电流来显示颗粒; 将敏感节点延伸至与防护结构相邻或以其他方式延伸，其既不影响或不损害设备操作，也不包括在测试期间使用检测装置打开的区域; 和/或转换良性区域，其中在测试期间颗粒可能被电场不可见地捕获到无场区域，通过延伸另外的非功能性导电层，使得随后可以通过提供一些机械干扰将颗粒移动到检测位置。

公开(公告)号：US20220341795A1

公开(公告)日：2022-10-27

申请号：US17238051

申请日：2021-04-22

申请人： Analog Devices, Inc.

发明人： Erdinc Tatar ,  William A. Clark

IPC分类号： G01L1/14

摘要： Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) capacitive strain gauge sensors are described. The strain gauge sensors include a lever configured to mechanically amplify a strain response. In some embodiments, an anchored beam is coupled to the effort arm of the lever and a movable sensing finger to the resistance arm. The effort arm may be shorter than the resistance arm, thus providing a mechanical amplification.

公开(公告)号：US10203352B2

公开(公告)日：2019-02-12

申请号：US15228229

申请日：2016-08-04

申请人： Analog Devices, Inc.

发明人： Xin Zhang ,  William A. Clark ,  Michael Judy

IPC分类号： G01P15/125 ,  G01P15/18 ,  G01P15/08

摘要： A microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) accelerometer is described. The MEMS accelerometer may comprise a proof mass configured to sense accelerations in a direction parallel the plane of the proof mass, and a plurality of compensation structures. The proof mass may be connected to one or more anchors through springs. The compensation structures may be coupled to the substrate of the MEMS accelerometer through a rigid connection to respective anchors. A compensation structure may comprise at least one compensation electrode forming one or more lateral compensation capacitors. The compensation capacitor(s) may be configured to sense displacement of the anchor to which the compensation structures is connected.

公开(公告)号：US20140060186A1

公开(公告)日：2014-03-06

申请号：US13774129

申请日：2013-02-22

申请人： Analog Devices, Inc.

发明人： William A. Clark ,  John A. Geen

IPC分类号： G01P15/097

CPC分类号： G01P15/097 ,  G01C19/5712

摘要： Error sources related to aerodynamics of an inertial sensor resonator are detected by modulating the distance between the resonator and the underlying substrate and sensing modulated error signals in the accelerometer that are induced by such modulation. Compensating signals may be provided to substantially cancel errors caused by such error sources.

摘要翻译： 与惯性传感器谐振器的空气动力学有关的误差源通过调制谐振器和底层衬底之间的距离并感测由这种调制引起的加速度计中的调制误差信号来检测。 可以提供补偿信号以基本上消除由这种错误源引起的错误。