公开(公告)号：US20210190814A1

公开(公告)日：2021-06-24

申请号：US17122793

申请日：2020-12-15

Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.

Inventor： Jean Marie DARMANIN ,  Carlo VALZASINA ,  Alessandro TOCCHIO ,  Gabriele GATTERE

IPC: G01P15/125

Abstract: A micromechanical device includes a semiconductor body, a first mobile structure, an elastic assembly, coupled to the first mobile structure and to the semiconductor body and adapted to undergo deformation in a direction, and at least one abutment element. The elastic assembly is configured to enable an oscillation of the first mobile structure as a function of a force applied thereto. The first mobile structure, the abutment element and the elastic assembly are arranged with respect to one another in such a way that: when the force is lower than a force threshold, the elastic assembly operates with a first elastic constant; and when the force is greater than the threshold force, then the first mobile structure is in contact with the abutment element, and a deformation of the elastic assembly is generated, which operates with a second elastic constant different from the first elastic constant.

公开(公告)号：US20210095949A1

公开(公告)日：2021-04-01

申请号：US17025977

申请日：2020-09-18

Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS S.r.l.

Inventor： Gabriele GATTERE ,  Carlo VALZASINA ,  Enri DUQI

IPC: G01B7/16 ,  B81B7/00

Abstract: A button device includes a MEMS sensor having a MEMS strain detection structure and a deformable substrate configured to undergo deformation under the action of an external force. The MEMS strain detection structure includes a mobile element carried by the deformable substrate via at least a first and a second anchorage, the latter fixed with respect to the deformable substrate and configured to displace and generate a deformation force on the mobile element in the presence of the external force; and stator elements capacitively coupled to the mobile element. The deformation of the mobile element causes a capacitance variation between the mobile element and the stator elements. Furthermore, the MEMS sensor is configured to generate detection signals correlated to the capacitance variation.

公开(公告)号：US20240240945A1

公开(公告)日：2024-07-18

申请号：US18403324

申请日：2024-01-03

Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS S.r.l.

Inventor： Gabriele GATTERE ,  Marco GARBARINO

IPC: G01C19/5755

CPC classification number: G01C19/5755

Abstract: A driving circuit is implemented for a driving resonator stage of a MEMS gyroscope including at least a first and a second electrode and a movable mass The driving circuit includes a synchronization stage which receives an electrical position signal indicative of the position of the movable mass and generates a reference signal phase- and frequency-locked with the electrical position signal; a driving stage which generates, on the basis of the reference signal, a first and a second driving signal, which are applied to the first and, respectively, the second electrodes, so that the movable mass is subject to a first and a second electrostatic force which cause the movable mass to oscillate.

公开(公告)号：US20240151741A1

公开(公告)日：2024-05-09

申请号：US18496653

申请日：2023-10-27

Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS S.r.l.

Inventor： Manuel RIANI ,  Gabriele GATTERE ,  Francesco RIZZINI

IPC: G01P15/125

CPC classification number: G01P15/125 ,  G01P2015/0882

Abstract: The MEMS device is formed by a substrate and a movable structure suspended on the substrate. The movable structure has a first mass, a second mass and a first elastic group mechanically coupled between the first and the second masses. The first elastic group is compliant along a first direction. The first mass is configured to move with respect to the substrate along the first direction. The MEMS device also has a second elastic group mechanically coupled between the substrate and the movable structure and compliant along the first direction; and an anchoring control structure fixed to the substrate, capacitively coupled to the second mass and configured to exert an electrostatic force on the second mass along the first direction. The anchoring control structure controls the MEMS device in a first operating state, wherein the second mass is free to move with respect to the substrate along the first direction, and in a second operating state, wherein the anchoring control structure applies a pull-in force on the second mass which anchors the second mass to the anchoring structure.

公开(公告)号：US20240044932A1

公开(公告)日：2024-02-08

申请号：US18364847

申请日：2023-08-03

Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS S.r.l.

Inventor： Gabriele GATTERE ,  Jean Marie DARMANIN ,  Francesco RIZZINI

IPC: G01P15/125

CPC classification number: G01P15/125

Abstract: A microelectromechanical sensor device having a sensing structure with: a substrate; an inertial mass, suspended above the substrate and elastically coupled to a rotor anchoring structure by elastic coupling elements, to perform at least one inertial movement due to a quantity to be sensed; first sensing electrodes, integrally coupled to the inertial mass to be movable due to the inertial movement; and second sensing electrodes, fixed with respect to the quantity to be sensed, facing and capacitively coupled to the first sensing electrodes to form sensing capacitances having a value that is indicative of the quantity to be sensed. The second sensing electrodes are arranged in a suspended manner above the substrate and a compensation structure is configured to move the second sensing electrodes with respect to the first sensing electrodes and vary a facing distance thereof, in the absence of the quantity to be sensed, in order to compensate for a native offset of the sensing structure.

公开(公告)号：US20230184806A1

公开(公告)日：2023-06-15

申请号：US18147629

申请日：2022-12-28

Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.

Inventor： Gabriele GATTERE ,  Francesco RIZZINI ,  Alessandro TOCCHIO

IPC: G01P15/125

CPC classification number: G01P15/125 ,  G01P2015/0874

Abstract: An inertial structure is elastically coupled through a first elastic structure to a supporting structure so as to move along a sensing axis as a function of a quantity to be detected. The inertial structure includes first and second inertial masses which are elastically coupled together by a second elastic structure to enable movement of the second inertial mass along the sensing axis. The first elastic structure has a lower elastic constant than the second elastic structure so that, in presence of the quantity to be detected, the inertial structure moves in a sensing direction until the first inertial mass stops against a stop structure and the second elastic mass can move further in the sensing direction. Once the quantity to be detected ends, the second inertial mass moves in a direction opposite to the sensing direction and detaches the first inertial mass from the stop structure.

公开(公告)号：US20230160921A1

公开(公告)日：2023-05-25

申请号：US18055804

申请日：2022-11-15

Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.

Inventor： Gabriele GATTERE ,  Francesco RIZZINI ,  Cristian DALL'OGLIO

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

CPC classification number: G01P15/18 ,  G01P15/125 ,  G01P15/0802

Abstract: A microelectromechanical sensor device has a detection structure, having: a substrate, with a top surface; an inertial mass, suspended above the top surface of the substrate and elastically coupled to a rotor anchor so as to perform an inertial movement relative to the substrate as a function of a quantity to be detected; and stator electrodes, integrally coupled to the substrate at respective stator anchors and capacitively coupled to the inertial mass so as to generate a differential capacitive variation in response to, and indicative of, the quantity to be detected. In particular, the inertial mass performs, as the inertial movement, a translation movement along a vertical axis orthogonal to the top surface of the substrate; and the stator electrodes are arranged in a suspended manner above the top surface of the substrate.

公开(公告)号：US20230083632A1

公开(公告)日：2023-03-16

申请号：US18056203

申请日：2022-11-16

Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.

Inventor： Francesco RIZZINI ,  Gabriele GATTERE ,  Sarah ZERBINI

IPC: G01P15/03 ,  B81B3/00 ,  G01P15/08 ,  G01P15/125 ,  G01P15/18

Abstract: A MEMS inertial sensor includes a supporting structure and an inertial structure. The inertial structure includes at least one inertial mass, an elastic structure, and a stopper structure. The elastic structure is mechanically coupled to the inertial mass and to the supporting structure so as to enable a movement of the inertial mass in a direction parallel to a first direction, when the supporting structure is subjected to an acceleration parallel to the first direction. The stopper structure is fixed with respect to the supporting structure and includes at least one primary stopper element and one secondary stopper element. If the acceleration exceeds a first threshold value, the inertial mass abuts against the primary stopper element and subsequently rotates about an axis of rotation defined by the primary stopper element. If the acceleration exceeds a second threshold value, rotation of the inertial mass terminates when the inertial mass abuts against the secondary stopper element.

公开(公告)号：US20230068616A1

公开(公告)日：2023-03-02

申请号：US17460030

申请日：2021-08-27

Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.

Inventor： Luca GUERINONI ,  Gabriele GATTERE

IPC: G01C25/00 ,  G01C19/72

Abstract: A gyroscopic sensor unit detects a phase drift between a demodulated output signal and demodulation signal during output of a quadrature test signal. A delay calculator detects the phase drift based on changes in the demodulated output signal during application of the quadrature test signal. A delay compensation circuit compensates for the phase drift by delaying the demodulation signal by the phase drift value.

公开(公告)号：US20230028797A1

公开(公告)日：2023-01-26

申请号：US17866378

申请日：2022-07-15

Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.

Inventor： Gabriele GATTERE ,  Jean Marie DARMANIN ,  Francesco RIZZINI ,  Carlo VALZASINA

IPC: G01P15/125 ,  G01P1/00

Abstract: A closed-loop microelectromechanical accelerometer includes a substrate of semiconductor material, an out-of-plane sensing mass and feedback electrodes. The out-of-plane sensing mass, of semiconductor material, has a first side facing the supporting body and a second side opposite to the first side. The out-of-plane sensing mass is also connected to the supporting body to oscillate around a non-barycentric fulcrum axis parallel to the first side and to the second side and perpendicular to an out-of-plane sensing axis. The feedback electrodes are capacitively coupled to the sensing mass and are configured to apply opposite electrostatic forces to the sensing mass.