Abstract:
A vibrating microdevice, such as a vibrating micromirror, includes a vibrating structure which is connected to a supporting body via at least one spring structure in an at least a largely floating manner, the spring structure including at least one torsion-spring element defining a torsion axis and permitting a torsional vibration about the torsion axis to be induced in the vibrating structure, the spring structure also including at least one converter structure, which at least partially converts forces acting at least largely perpendicularly to the torsion axis on the torsion spring element into forces acting at least partially parallelly to the torsion axis on the torsion-spring element.
Abstract:
A sensor, in particular thermal sensor, having a silicon element and a largely self-supporting membrane layer equipped with at least one sensor element, is proposed. The membrane layer is furthermore spaced away from the silicon element by way of at least one contact column and is at least largely supported thereby. The contact column moreover makes electrical contact to the sensor element. Also proposed is a method for manufacturing a largely self-supporting membrane, a polymer layer first being deposited on a base element, patterned, and equipped with at least one cutout. The cutout is subsequently filled with a filler material, and a membrane layer is applied onto the polymer layer. Lastly, the polymer layer is removed again. The proposed method for manufacturing a largely self-supporting membrane layer is suitable in particular for constructing a sensor, in particular a thermal sensor or a thermal sensor array.
Abstract:
A filter for electric signals has a substrate, a vibrating body capable of vibrating with at least two antipodes deflected in phase opposition relative to the substrate and has electrodes connected to a signal input and a signal output for electric excitation and for detection of the vibration of the vibrating body. The electrodes for detecting the vibration, each assigned to antipodes deflected in phase opposition, are connected to two separate terminals of the signal output.
Abstract:
A method for manufacturing a micromechanical device, in particular a micromechanical vibrating-mirror device, having the following steps: making available a three-layer structure having a first layer, a second layer and a third layer, the second layer lying between the first and the third layers; etching through the first layer up to the second layer to produce an island region, lying on the second layer, which is joined to region of the first layer surrounding the island region by way of one or more connecting webs, and etching through a region of the third layer up to the second layer and removing a region of the second layer below the island region in such a way that the island region can perform movements, preferably torsional vibrations, about the one or more connecting webs, the torsional vibrations having such an amplitude that a part of the island region extends into the etched-through region of the third layer.
Abstract:
An acceleration sensing device includes a rotational speed sensor which is mounted on a substrate and detects rotational speed, at least one oscillating structure with a deflectable seismic mass, and an acceleration sensor that detects linear acceleration and has at least one additional seismic mass which is suspended on flexible elements so that it can be deflected. The seismic masses of the two sensors are deflected independently of one another.
Abstract:
A gyroscope system including multiple rotating or oscillating disks filters out disturbance acceleration inputs such as vibrations or jarring while detecting and measuring external angular velocity. The gyroscope disks are decoupled from a substrate to decrease the impact of external vibrations on the gyroscope operation. The gyroscope disks are rotated in opposite directions or oscillated out of phase to decrease the impact of disturbance vibrations and jarring while more accurately measuring external angular velocities applied to the system.
Abstract:
A microtool for manipulating components is proposed. A component is held with the microtool by at least one gripper arm having a gripping surface, the gripper being movable by an actuator structure. Also provided is a device for releasing the held component from the gripping surface, whereby an acceleration is induced in the gripper arm for at least a time, and the force of inertia resulting from the inertial mass of the held component and the exerted acceleration will be greater than any force of adhesion acting between the held component and the gripping surface. A process is also proposed for producing a microtool or a microtool part, in particular a microgripper by micropatterning. For this purpose, the microtool or the microtool part to be manufactured is patterned out of a layered structure having a base layer, an intermediate layer, and a structuring layer, which is patterned using a masking layer in conformance with the geometry of the microtool to be manufactured; the microtool or the microtool part is patterned out of the structuring layer. Subsequently, the intermediate layer is then undercut (e.g., etched from underneath) in a second etching process.
Abstract:
A magnetic field sensor that can be manufactured using the technology of surface micromechanics, having a conductor loop that has at least one deformable segment; a deformation device for deforming the deformable segment of the conductor loop with a predeterminable time dependence; a voltage sensing device for sensing the voltage induced at the ends of the conductor loop upon deformation in the presence of a magnetic field; and a magnetic field determining device for determining the present static and/or dynamic magnetic field in consideration of at least the time dependence of the deformation.
Abstract:
A method of protecting a micro-mechanical sensor structure embedded in a micro-mechanical sensor chip, in which the micro-mechanical sensor structure is fabricated with a protective membrane, the micro-mechanical sensor chip is arranged so that a surface of the protective membrane faces toward a second chip, and the micro-mechanical sensor chip is secured to the second chip.
Abstract:
A sensor node arrangement in a wireless network, includes a sensor to sense information, an RF transceiver to communicate the information to at least one element of the wireless network, and a coil to establish a secondary communications channel with a handheld device via inductive coupling, the secondary communications channel used, for example, to receive, during installation of the sensor node arrangement, a node identifier of the sensor node arrangement.