Patent EP0442280A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0442280A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Method and apparatus for semiconductor chip transducer
Assignee: Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc
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Filing: 1991-01-18
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-01-18
Abstract
Abstract A motion transducer fabricated from a semiconductor material by etched exposure and release of a resiliently suspended element (16). Electrical sensing and/or torquing is applied to the suspended element (16) to produce mass or vibrational sensitivities to provide a transducer for various physical parameters. In the case of a gyroscopic transducer a mass (28) is applied to the element and may be applied in a balanced configuration on either side. The semiconductor element and electrodes (30,32) may be isolated by the use of buried PN junctions or dielectric layers, and a separately formed insulating dielectric bridge may be used to provide a support link between the suspended element (16) and the remainder of the semiconductor material. A specific crystal orientation is useful in permitting etch control in freeing the suspended element from the remainder of the material. Suspension link stress relief is provided and a waffle construction achieved in the suspended element for use in motional transduction.
Inventors
- 👤 Paul Greiff
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 17:37
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01C; G01C19/00; G01C19/56; G01C19/5719; G01P; G01P15/00; G01P15/02; G01P15/08; G01P15/0802; G01P15/0888; G01P2015/0805; G01P2015/0822; G01P2015/0825; G01P2015/0828
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 36
Claim 1
Independent Claim
49 words
A semiconductor chip motion transducer assembly comprising: a semiconductor flexure supported substrate; a semiconductor frame for said substrate; and an elongated flexure support flexibly linking said substrate to said frame; said flexure support comprising a semiconductor material; and a PN junction within said frame adjacent to said flexure support.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
43 words
The assembly of claim 1 further including: said substrate being positioned over a portion of said semiconductor frame; portions of said frame facing said substrate having dopants to thereby form electrodes facing said substrate; said PN junction isolating said electrodes from said substrate.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
The assembly of claim 1 wherein said substrate includes a mass and said frame includes electrodes operative in response to energization to impart gyroscopic sensitivity to said transducer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
The assembly of claim 1 wherein said substrate includes a mass remote from an axis of rotation for said substrate defined by said flexure support and said frame includes electrodes operative to impart accelerometer sensitivity to said transducer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
42 words
A semiconductor chip motion transducer assembly comprising: a semiconductor substrate; a semiconductor frame; at least a pair of dielectric means for resiliently supporting said substrate in electrical isolation from said frame and permitting vibration of said substrate with respect to said frame.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
The assembly of claim 5 wherein said frame and substrate are substantially co-planar on at least one surface thereof and said supporting means comprise a dielectric flexure.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
The assembly of claim 5 wherein: said substrate includes a mass; said frame includes electrodes operative in response to energization to induce gyroscopic sensitivity of said substrate relative to said frame.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
41 words
The assembly of claim 5 wherein: said substrate includes a mass remote from an axis through said dielectric means and said frame includes electrodes operative in response to energization to provide accelerometer sensitivity of said substrate with respect to said frame.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
The assembly of claim 5 further including slit portions in at least one of said substrate and said frame in regions adjacent to said dielectric means to provide stress relief.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
57 words
A semiconductor chip motion transducer assembly comprising: a semiconductor substrate; a semiconductor frame; flexures joining said substrate to said frame to permit freedom of motion therebetween about an axis; said frame including a portion facing said substrate; the portion of said frame facing said substrate having therein conductive electrodes; means for providing electrical access to said electrodes.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
20 words
The assembly of claim 10 wherein said means for providing access includes a diffusion from a surface of said frame.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
30 words
The assembly of claim 10 further including: a mass supported by said substrate; means for energizing said electrodes to provide gyroscopic sensitivity of said substrate with respect to said frame.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
38 words
The assembly of claim 10 further including: a mass supported by said substrate remote from said flexures and operative in response to energization of said electrodes to provide acceleration sensitivity of said substrate with respect to said frame.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
27 words
The assembly of claim 10 wherein said substrate or said frame includes one or more slots adjacent to the junction with said flexures to provide stress relief.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
78 words
A semiconductor chip motion transducer assembly comprising: a semiconductor substrate; a semiconductor frame; flexures joining said substrate to said frame to permit relative motion therebetween about an axis; said frame comprising one or more electrodes extending from a region of said frame facing said substrate to a peripheral portion thereof; a diffusion through a surface of said frame to contact said electrodes in said peripheral portion; a dielectric layer isolating said electrode from semiconducting portions of said frame.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
104 words
A semiconductor chip motion transducer assembly comprising: a semiconductor substrate; a semiconductor frame; said semiconductor frame and substrate being substantially co-planar at a surface plane thereof, said surface plane being the (100) crystalline orientation of the semiconductor material forming said frame and substrate; a flexure joining said substrate to said frame to provide relative motion therebetween about an axis passing through said flexure; said frame and substrate being monocrystalline with said frame comprising and etched portion surrounding said substrate with the peripheral walls of said etched portion substantially parallel to plural (111) orientation planes of the semiconductor material forming said frame and said substrate.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
83 words
A semiconductor chip motion transducer comprising: a semiconductor substrate; a semiconductor frame; flexures joining said substrate to said frame to permit relative motion therebetween about an axis passing through said flexures; said substrate being substantially planar and etched free from the semiconductor material of said frame; said substrate having a plane surface lying in a surface plane of said frame and an opposite surface having a waffled surface formed by back etching into said substrate in central portions thereof to minimize substrate mass.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
71 words
A process for forming a semiconductor chip motion transducer by controlled etching of a semiconductor block comprising the steps of: etching said block to free a substrate therefrom; forming flexures joining said substrate to said block to permit motion of said substrate relative to said block about an axis passing through said flexures; forming a PN junction in said block about said flexures to isolate electrically said substrate from said block.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
85 words
A process for forming a semiconductor chip motion transducer by controlled etching of a semiconductor block comprising the steps of: forming dielectrically insulating flexure supports between a central portion of said block defining a substrate to be produced and the remainder of said block, said supports to provide flexible support for said substrate to be produced from said block; etching through said block in a pattern to free said substrate from said block except for attachment along said supports between said substrate and said block.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
64 words
A process for forming a semiconductor chip motion transducer comprising the steps of: etching a block of semiconductor material to provide a substrate apart from said block; forming flexure joints supporting said substrate from said block to permit motion of said substrate with respect to said block about an axis passing through said flexures; providing said block with electrodes in regions facing said substrate.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
76 words
A process for forming a semiconductor chip motion transducer comprising the steps of: forming electrodes on a surface of a semiconductor material; providing electrical contract to said electrode through said semiconductor material in a first region; forming by etching a substrate flexibly supported for rotation about an axis passing through flexures joining said substrate to said material in a second portion, said second portion facing said electrodes; providing dielectric isolation between said electrodes and said material.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
75 words
A process for forming a semiconductor chip motion transducer comprising the steps of: forming in a block of semiconductor material a substrate separated from said block and supported therefrom by first and second flexures permitting motion of said substrate about an axis through said flexures with respect to said block; said forming step including the step of forming in a surface of said substrate facing said block a waffle pattern to reduce the substrate mass.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
76 words
A process for forming a semiconductor chip motion transducer comprising the steps of forming a substrate in a block of semiconductor material supported from said block by a set of flexures which permit motion of said substrate about an axis through said flexures; providing a slot in at least one of said substrate and block at a location adjacent to said flexures and in a direction substantially orthogonal thereto to provide stress relief in said flexures.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
45 words
A process for forming a semiconductor chip transducer comprising the steps of: applying electrodes in a block of semiconductor material; etching said semiconductor material to separate a substrate form said material; electrochemically controlling the etching of said semiconductor material by anodic oxidation of said electrodes.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
43 words
A semiconductor chip motion transducer comprising: a semiconductor substrate; a semiconductor frame; flexures joining said substrate to said frame to permit freedom of motion therebetween about an axis; means for supporting conductive electrodes from said frame in a position facing to said substrate.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
48 words
A semiconductor motion transducer assembly comprising: a frame and flexure supported element formed from a doped semiconductor material; first and second doped flexures resiliently supporting said element within said frame and positioned on opposite sides of said element; means for relieving stress between said element and said frame.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
66 words
A semiconductor transduction assembly having motion limits comprising: a semiconductor element resiliently supported within a semiconductor frame for rotation about an axis; said frame including a bottom portion facing said element within the range of motion of said element with respect to said frame; means for limiting motion of said element with respect to said frame whereby said element is prevented from striking said bottom portion.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
76 words
A method for forming out-of-plane features in a planar semiconductor element comprising the steps of: etching a surface of a semiconductor material to form a depression therein; doping the etched surface of said semiconductor material including the exposed depression therein; etching away undoped portions of said semiconductor material to produce said planar semiconductor element having therein an out-of-plane feature defined by said depression on one surface thereof and a corresponding profile on an opposite surface thereof.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
47 words
A semiconductor motion transducer assembly comprising: a semiconductor element resiliently supported within a frame; a mass affixed to said semiconductor element and extending away from a surface of said semiconductor element as an elongated column; said column having a exterior surface doped to prevent etched erosion thereof.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
75 words
A process for forming a semiconductor motion transducer assembly comprising: forming a deep pit in surface of a semiconductor material; doping the exposed surface of said pit to prevent etched erosion thereof; filling the doped pit with a mass; doping surface portions of said semiconductor material surrounding said pit to provide etch resistance thereof in portions defining a flexure supported element; etching said semiconductor material to release the flexure supported element from said semiconductor material.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
79 words
A semiconductor gyroscopic motion transducer comprising: a semiconductor frame and flexure supported semiconductor element resiliently supported by opposing flexures within said frame; means for capacitively applying sensing and force excitation to said flexure supported element to provide gyroscopic transduction thereby; an FET formed in said semiconductor material of said frame at a location adjacent to flexures resiliently supporting said element; means for applying signals capacitively applied to said element from said flexures to a gate portion of said FET.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
128 words
A process for forming a semiconductor gyroscopic motion transducer assembly comprising the steps of: doping surface portions of a semiconductor material to define a to be resiliently supported semiconductor element, flexures for supporting said element, a frame within said semiconductor material surrounding said semiconductor element and having said flexures extend between said frame and said semiconductor element, and regions adjacent to said flexures defining FET source and drain electrodes; etching said semiconductor material to free said flexures and said flexure material whereby said semiconductor element is resiliently supported within said frame by said flexures; metalizing a region between said flexures and said source and drain electrodes to provide gate activation of conduction between said source and drain electrodes in response to a signal applied to said semiconductor element.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
32 words
A process of forming a semiconductor subassembly comprising the steps of: applying an apertured dielectric layer on a planar semiconductor material; separately applying dopant and etching through apertures in said dielectric layer.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
53 words
A process for forming a semiconductor subassembly comprising the steps of: doping a planar surface of a semiconductor material to first and second depths in selected regions; etching under the doped regions of the doped material to free the doped material from the remainder of the semiconductor material and define a semiconductor structure.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
34 words
A semiconductor motion transducer subassembly comprising: a frame of semiconductor material; a semiconductor substrate resiliently supported from said frame; said substrate having first and second semiconducting portions and a dielectric bridge joining said portions.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
39 words
A semiconductor transducer subassembly comprising: a frame of semiconductor material; a semiconductor substrate resiliently supported from said frame above an etched cavity; one or more apertures through one of said frame and substrate in a region above said cavity.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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