Abstract: Provided is a solid oxide fuel cell having high power generation efficiency and being operable at low temperature. A fuel cell of the present invention includes a cathode electrode, an anode electrode, and a solid electrolyte layer disposed between the cathode electrode and the anode electrode and formed from polycrystalline zirconia or polycrystalline ceria doped with divalent or trivalent positive ions and having proton conductivity, in which the cathode electrode and the solid electrolyte layer are stacked with a first oxygen ion blocking layer interposed therebetween.

Abstract: Provided are acceleration sensor, geophone and seismic prospecting system with high sensitivity and low power consumption. The acceleration sensor includes a mass body displaceable with respect to a rotation shaft. The acceleration sensor includes a first AC servo control facing a first symmetrical region of the first movable portion, a second AC servo control electrode facing a second symmetrical region of the second movable portion, and a DC servo control electrode facing an asymmetrical region of the second movable portion. A first AC servo capacitive element is formed by the first movable portion and the first AC servo control electrode, a second AC servo capacitive element is formed by the second movable portion and the second AC servo control electrode, and a DC servo capacitive element is formed by the second movable portion and the DC servo control electrode.

Abstract: Provided is an acceleration sensor having a large mass in a movable portion, and realizing high impact resistance. An acceleration sensor element 10a includes an upper substrate 20, a lower substrate 21 spaced apart from the upper substrate 20, and an intermediate substrate 19 provided between the upper substrate 20 and the lower substrate 21. Each of a first movable portion 16, a second movable portion 17, a frame portion 12, a fixed portion 13, and a spring portion 14 constituting the intermediate substrate 19 is configured with two layers of an upper layer and a lower layer, and a stopper portion 18 is provided at one end of the frame portion 12. A distance 31 between an end portion of the first movable portion 16 or the second movable portion 17 and an end portion of the stopper portion 18 in the upper layer and a distance 32 between an end portion of the first movable portion 16 or the second movable portion 17 and an end portion of the stopper portion 18 in the lower layer are different from each other.

Abstract: An acceleration sensor has high sensitivity, low power consumption and high linearity of output to the applied acceleration under gravity. To solve the above problem, the acceleration sensor is provided with a movable section placed between a base substrate and a cap substrate and rotating about a rotation axis. A top left electrode included in the cap substrate and a left movable electrode included in the movable section form a left capacitor, and a top right electrode included in the cap substrate and a right movable electrode included in the movable section form a right capacitor. Then, a lateral width of a first detection region in which capacitance is detected between the top left electrode and the left movable electrode, and a lateral width of a second detection region in which capacitance is detected between the top right electrode and the right movable electrode are different from each other.

Abstract: In an acceleration sensor detecting a vibration acceleration by using torsion of a beam joining a fixed portion and a membrane, a spring constant of the beam is decreased while an increase in a chip size due to extension of the beam is prevented, so that an acceleration sensor that is highly sensitive and small in a size is provided with a low price. A sensor of a capacitance detecting type includes a membrane having a stacking structure formed of two or more layers and a plurality of beams capable of twisting so that the membrane is movable in a detecting direction, a first beam of the plurality of beams is formed of the same layer as either an upper or a lower layer of the membrane, and a second beam thereof is formed of the same layer as either an upper or a lower layer of the movable portion.

Abstract: There is provided an acceleration sensor with low noise and high sensitivity. Specifically, a first number of opening portions are formed in a region corresponding to a heavyweight section of a mass body, on a surface of a membrane layer, and a second number of opening portions are formed in a region corresponding to the heavyweight section of the mass body, on a back surface of the membrane layer. The opening portion and the opening portion are connected to each other to form a plurality of through portions on the membrane layer, and the first number is larger than the second number.

Abstract: An acceleration sensor with an improved membrane (mass body) is provided. The membrane includes a moving portion, a moving portion electrically separated from the moving portion, and a mechanical junction portion that mechanically connects the moving portion and the moving portion in a y-axis direction. The mechanical junction portion includes a first portion extending in a direction having a first angle with respect to the y-axis direction and a second portion extending in a direction having a second angle different from the first angle with respect to the y-axis direction in an xy plane, and is formed to have a non-linear shape in an x-axis direction. The acceleration sensor with improved the membrane stably operates by reducing a variation in a capacity value of a detection electrode and has an excellent noise characteristic.

Abstract: There is provided an inertia sensor with low noise and high sensitivity. The inertia sensor captures a physical quantity as a change of electrostatic capacitance and detects the physical quantity based on a servo voltage generating electrostatic force that cancels the change of the electrostatic capacitance. The inertia sensor includes a detection capacitor unit that captures the physical quantity as the change of the electrostatic capacitance and a servo capacitor unit to which the servo voltage is applied. Here, the detection capacitor unit and the servo capacitor unit are connected mechanically through an insulation material.

Abstract: An acceleration sensor (1) includes a fixed portion (33), a movable portion (31) connected to the fixed portion (33), a lower electrode (11) that is disposed to face a lower surface of the movable portion (31), and an upper electrode (21) that is disposed to face an upper surface of the movable portion (31). A distance in an x-axis direction between an end portion (41) of the lower electrode (11) and the fixed portion (33) is shorter than a distance in the x-axis direction between an end portion (51) of the upper electrode (21) and the fixed portion (33). Further, a distance in the x-axis direction between an end portion (42) of the lower electrode (11) and the fixed portion (33) is shorter than a distance in the x-axis direction between an end portion (52) of the upper electrode (21) and the fixed portion (33).

Abstract: Airtightness in a cavity of an inertial sensor (acceleration sensor) is increased to achieve high sensitivity. In the acceleration sensor having movable electrodes VE1, VE2 and fixed electrodes FE1, FE2, the fixed electrodes are formed by portions surrounded by a through hole TH1 provided in a cap layer CL, and the through hole is filled with an insulating film IF1 and polysilicon P and has a wide portion (WP). The wide portion has a gap SP that is not filled with the insulating film IF1 and the polysilicon P, and the gap SP is filled with the interlayer insulating film ID. With such a configuration, degassing can be exhausted through the gap (airway) SP in a pressure reducing step.

Abstract: In an acceleration sensor detecting a vibration acceleration by using torsion of a beam joining a fixed portion and a membrane, a spring constant of the beam is decreased while an increase in a chip size due to extension of the beam is prevented, so that an acceleration sensor that is highly sensitive and small in a size is provided with a low price. A sensor of a capacitance detecting type includes a membrane having a stacking structure formed of two or more layers and a plurality of beams capable of twisting so that the membrane is movable in a detecting direction, a first beam of the plurality of beams is formed of the same layer as either an upper or a lower layer of the membrane, and a second beam thereof is formed of the same layer as either an upper or a lower layer of the movable portion.

Abstract: An acceleration sensor has high sensitivity, low power consumption and high linearity of output to the applied acceleration under gravity. To solve the above problem, the acceleration sensor is provided with a movable section placed between a base substrate and a cap substrate and rotating about a rotation axis. A top left electrode included in the cap substrate and a left movable electrode included in the movable section form a left capacitor, and a top right electrode included in the cap substrate and a right movable electrode included in the movable section form a right capacitor. Then, a lateral width of a first detection region in which capacitance is detected between the top left electrode and the left movable electrode, and a lateral width of a second detection region in which capacitance is detected between the top right electrode and the right movable electrode are different from each other.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a MEMS device that is easy to set a cavity inner pressure to a desired value by utilizing normally-used MEMS device manufacturing processes and process materials without increase in the number of processes of manufacturing the MEMS device. In order to solve the problem, as a typical MEMS device of the present invention, a MEMS device having a cavity includes an insulating film containing hydrogen in vicinity of the cavity and a hydrogen barrier film covering the insulating film.

Abstract: Provided are acceleration sensor, geophone and seismic prospecting system with high sensitivity and low power consumption. The acceleration sensor includes a mass body displaceable with respect to a rotation shaft. The acceleration sensor includes a first AC servo control facing a first symmetrical region of the first movable portion, a second AC servo control electrode facing a second symmetrical region of the second movable portion, and a DC servo control electrode facing an asymmetrical region of the second movable portion. A first AC servo capacitive element is formed by the first movable portion and the first AC servo control electrode, a second AC servo capacitive element is formed by the second movable portion and the second AC servo control electrode, and a DC servo capacitive element is formed by the second movable portion and the DC servo control electrode.

Abstract: There is provided an acceleration sensor with low noise and high sensitivity. Specifically, a first number of opening portions are formed in a region corresponding to a heavyweight section of a mass body, on a surface of a membrane layer, and a second number of opening portions are formed in a region corresponding to the heavyweight section of the mass body, on a back surface of the membrane layer. The opening portion and the opening portion are connected to each other to form a plurality of through portions on the membrane layer, and the first number is larger than the second number.

Abstract: Provided is an acceleration sensor having a large mass in a movable portion, and realizing high impact resistance. An acceleration sensor element 10a includes an upper substrate 20, a lower substrate 21 spaced apart from the upper substrate 20, and an intermediate substrate 19 provided between the upper substrate 20 and the lower substrate 21. Each of a first movable portion 16, a second movable portion 17, a frame portion 12, a fixed portion 13, and a spring portion 14 constituting the intermediate substrate 19 is configured with two layers of an upper layer and a lower layer, and a stopper portion 18 is provided at one end of the frame portion 12. A distance 31 between an end portion of the first movable portion 16 or the second movable portion 17 and an end portion of the stopper portion 18 in the upper layer and a distance 32 between an end portion of the first movable portion 16 or the second movable portion 17 and an end portion of the stopper portion 18 in the lower layer are different from each other.

Abstract: Airtightness in a cavity of an inertial sensor (acceleration sensor) is increased to achieve high sensitivity. In the acceleration sensor having movable electrodes VE1, VE2 and fixed electrodes FE1, FE2, the fixed electrodes are formed by portions surrounded by a through hole TH1 provided in a cap layer CL, and the through hole is filled with an insulating film IF1 and polysilicon P and has a wide portion (WP). The wide portion has a gap SP that is not filled with the insulating film IF1 and the polysilicon P, and the gap SP is filled with the interlayer insulating film ID. With such a configuration, degassing can be exhausted through the gap (airway) SP in a pressure reducing step.

Abstract: A membrane (mass body) included in an acceleration sensor includes a moving portion, a moving portion electrically separated from the moving portion, and a mechanical junction portion that mechanically connects the moving portion and the moving portion in a y-axis direction. The mechanical junction portion includes a first portion extending in a direction having a first angle with respect to the y-axis direction and a second portion extending in a direction having a second angle different from the first angle with respect to the y-axis direction in an xy plane, and is formed to have a non-linear shape in an x-axis direction.

Abstract: There is provided an inertia sensor with low noise and high sensitivity. The inertia sensor captures a physical quantity as a change of electrostatic capacitance and detects the physical quantity based on a servo voltage generating electrostatic force that cancels the change of the electrostatic capacitance. The inertia sensor includes a detection capacitor unit that captures the physical quantity as the change of the electrostatic capacitance and a servo capacitor unit to which the servo voltage is applied. Here, the detection capacitor unit and the servo capacitor unit are connected mechanically through an insulation material.

Abstract: An acceleration sensor (1) includes a fixed portion (33), a movable portion (31) connected to the fixed portion (33), a lower electrode (11) that is disposed to face a lower surface of the movable portion (31), and an upper electrode (21) that is disposed to face an upper surface of the movable portion (31). A distance in an x-axis direction between an end portion (41) of the lower electrode (11) and the fixed portion (33) is shorter than a distance in the x-axis direction between an end portion (51) of the upper electrode (21) and the fixed portion (33). Further, a distance in the x-axis direction between an end portion (42) of the lower electrode (11) and the fixed portion (33) is shorter than a distance in the x-axis direction between an end portion (52) of the upper electrode (21) and the fixed portion (33).