A precision yaw rate sensor in silicon micromachining

Abstract

A new generation of production-ready yaw rate sensor, based on silicon micromachining, is presented. The sensor is designed for mass production and high performance applications. A combination of surface and bulk micromachining leads to an advantage in design, signal evaluation and packaging. This paper discusses the design of the sensing element: two bulk micromachined oscillating masses each of which supports two surface micromachined accelerometers for detection of the Coriolis force. Mechanical balancing of the sensor is avoided by implementation of a new dry etching process and precise photolithography. The electrodynamic actuation and high Q-value of the oscillator allow packaging at atmospheric pressure. Characterization results of the device are presented.