Produced from silicon in micro-technology symmetrical vibration gyro sensor

摘要

A microgyroscope (10) comprising a silicon, four-leaf clover structure (12) which is suspended by four silicon cantilevers or springs (14) extending between clover (12) and rim (16). The device is electrostatically actuated and capacitively detects Coriolis induced motions of the leaves of the clover leaf structure. In a preferred embodiment, a post (18) is attached through a center (20) of the clover structure (12) in a direction symmetrically perpendicular to both sides of a plane formed by the clover leaves (22a-b). In the case where the post is not symmetric with the plane of the clover structure, the device is usable as an accelerometer. If the post is provided in the shape of a dumb bell or an asymmetric post, the center of gravity is moved out of the plane of the clover leaf structure and a hybrid device is provided. When the clover leaf structure is used without a center mass, it performs as a high Q resonator usable as a sensor of any physical phenomena.