Time Multiplexed Electrodes in MEMS Inertial Sensors

摘要

In certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention, rather than having two or more electrodes connected to separate bond pads for making electrical connections to separate electrical circuits to perform various electrode functions (e.g., a drive electrode for performing a drive function and a sense electrode for performing a sense function as in FIG. 1), a common electrode that can perform multiple electrode functions is electrically connected to a single bond pad, with the two electrical circuits connected to the single bond pad. The two electrical circuits are then time-multiplexed so that the electrode can be used for both electrode functions. Among other things, such an arrangement reduces the number of bond pads and therefore allows for reduction of the size of the MEMS die.