Abstract: A microgyroscope having a suspended vertical post uses the Coriolis force to detect the rotation rate. The microgyroscope consists of a single vertical post which is the rotation rate sensing element. The vertical post is formed from the same silicon wafers as the rest of the microgyroscope. A first portion of the vertical post and the clover-leaf structure are made from a first silicon wafer. A second portion of the vertical post and the baseplate are made from a second silicon wafer. The two portions are then bonded together to from the clover-leaf gyroscope with an integrated post structure.

Abstract: A microgyroscope having a suspended vertical post uses the Coriolis force to detect the rotation rate. The microgyroscope consists of a single vertical post which senses the rotation rate. The vertical post is supported by multiple silicon suspensions. The vertical post is driven electrostatically to oscillatory in-plane (x and y directions) by vertical capacitors. The Coriolis force induced motions of the vertical post is detected capacitively by the vertical capacitors.

Abstract: A micro-gyroscope (10) having closed loop operation by a control voltage (Vty), that is demodulated by an output signal of the sense electrodes (S1, S2), providing Coriolis torque rebalance to prevent displacement of the micro-gyroscope (10) on the output axis (y-axis). The present invention provides independent alignment and tuning of the micro-gyroscope by using separate sensors and actuators to detect and adjust alignment and tuning. A quadrature amplitude signal is used to detect misalignment, that is corrected to zero by an electrostatic bias adjustment. A quadrature signal noise level, or a transfer function test signal, is used to detect residual mistuning, that is corrected to zero by a second electrostatic bias adjustment.

Abstract: An optical switch is provided, in which input light from a fiber is directed across a free-space region to a corresponding one of a first set of beam steering elements, such as moveable mirrors, which then re-directs the light beam back through the free-space region to a desired one of a second set of beam steering elements. This beam steering element sends the light back again through the free-space region to a corresponding output fiber. The interfaces to both the input and output fibers include a collimating element, such as a lens. In other embodiments, an optical switch has fibers and moveable mirrors only on one substrate of the switch. The other substrate has at least a stationary mirror. The moveable mirrors and the stationary mirror direct light to the fibers such that the fibers can be used as either inputs or outputs of the switch, thereby allowing switch re-configurability.

Abstract: A microgyroscope having a suspended vertical post uses the Coriolis force to detect the rotation rate. The microgyroscope consists of a single vertical post which is the rotation rate sensing element. The vertical post is formed from the same silicon wafers as the rest of the microgyroscope. A first portion of the vertical post and the clover-leaf structure are made from a first silicon wafer. A second portion of the vertical post and the baseplate are made from a second silicon wafer. The two portions are then bonded together to from the clover-leaf gyroscope with an integrated post structure.

Abstract: A microgyroscope has a baseplate made of the same material as the rest of the microgyroscope. The baseplate is a silicon baseplate having a heavily p-doped epilayer covered by a thick dielectric film and metal electrodes. The metal electrodes are isolated from the ground plane by the dielectric. This provides very low parasitic capacitive coupling between the electrodes. The thick dielectric reduces the capacitance between the electrodes and the ground plane.

Abstract: A micromachined resonator mountable to an external support structure has a proof mass coupled to a base structure by a first spring structure, the base structure having a plurality of electrodes, and a second spring structure coupling the base structure to the external support structure.

Abstract: A micro-gyroscope (10) having closed loop operation by a control voltage (VTY), that is demodulated by an output signal of the sense electrodes (S1, S2), providing Coriolis torque rebalance to prevent displacement of the micro-gyroscope (10) on the output axis (y-axis). The present invention provides wide-band, closed-loop operation for a micro-gyroscope (10) and allows the drive frequency to be closely tuned to a high Q sense axis resonance. A differential sense signal (S1−S2) is compensated and fed back by differentially changing the voltage on the drive electrodes to rebalance Coriolis torque. The feedback signal is demodulated in phase with the drive axis signal (K&ohgr;⊖x) to produce a measure of the Coriolis force.

Abstract: An optical switch is provided, in which input light from a fiber is directed across a free-space region to a corresponding one of a first set of beam steering elements, such as moveable mirrors, which then re-directs the light beam back through the free-space region to a desired one of a second set of beam steering elements. This beam steering element sends the light back again through the free-space region to a corresponding output fiber. The interfaces to both the input and output fibers include a collimating element, such as a lens. In other embodiments, an optical switch has fibers and moveable mirrors only on one substrate of the switch. The other substrate has at least a stationary mirror. The moveable mirrors and the stationary mirror direct light to the fibers such that the fibers can be used as either inputs or outputs of the switch, thereby allowing switch re-configurability.

Abstract: A pivotable optical element that may be filly deflected in a plurality of positions is disclosed. The filly deflected positions of the optical element may be defined against linear segments on a platform or against linear segments on the optical element.

Abstract: A pressure sensor has a high degree of accuracy over a wide range of pressures. Using a pressure sensor relying upon resonant oscillations to determine pressure, a driving circuit drives such a pressure sensor at resonance and tracks resonant frequency and amplitude shifts with changes in pressure. Pressure changes affect the Q-factor of the resonating portion of the pressure sensor. Such Q-factor changes are detected by the driving/sensing circuit which in turn tracks the changes in resonant frequency to maintain the pressure sensor at resonance. Changes in the Q-factor are reflected in changes of amplitude of the resonating pressure sensor. In response, upon sensing the changes in the amplitude, the driving circuit changes the force or strength of the electrostatic driving signal to maintain the resonator at constant amplitude.

Abstract: A gyroscope system can detect the amount of movement of the system. The gyroscope system includes a circuit that has a number of different features and detects movement independent of any circuit parameters. The first feature uses a feedback loop to compensate for difference in Q factors between the circuits. Another feature regulates the amplitude of the resonator. Yet another feature extracts the rotation rate signals from the gyroscope in a new way.

Abstract: When embodied in a microgyroscope, the invention is comprised of a silicon, four-leaf clover structure with a post attached to the center. The whole structure is suspended by four silicon cantilevers or springs. The device is electrostatically actuated and capacitively detects Coriolis induced motions of the leaves of the leaf clover structure. In the case where the post is not symmetric with the plane of the clover leaves, the device can 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 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 which can be coupled to the resonant performance.