Patents by Inventor Martin Schoefthaler

Martin Schoefthaler has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20070279876
    Abstract: A device for passivating at least one component by a housing and a method for manufacturing the device. A cover is connected to a front side of the substrate to form an inner chamber of the housing in a connection area. The component is attached to the front side of the substrate and inside the inner chamber of the housing, at least one contact line, which is connected in an electrically conductive manner to the component, is electrically insulated in relation to the connection area and is provided in the proximity of at least a part of the connection area between the front side and a rear side of the substrate, which faces away from the front side, or on the rear side of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2006
    Publication date: December 6, 2007
    Inventors: Kurt Weiblen, Martin Schoefthaler, Thomas Haalboom
  • Publication number: 20050066704
    Abstract: A method for the electrical zero balancing of a micro mechanical component including a first capacitor electrode rigidly suspended over a substrate, a second capacitor electrode rigidly suspended over the substrate, and a third capacitor electrode disposed there between, resiliently and deflectably suspended over the substrate, as well as a differential-capacitance detector for measuring a differential capacitance of the capacitances of the variable capacitors configured in this manner. In this context, a first electric potential is applied to the first capacitor electrode; a second electric potential is applied to the second capacitor electrode; a third electric potential is applied to the third capacitor electrode; and a fourth electric potential is applied to the substrate. The fourth electrical potential applied to the substrate for the electrical zero-point balancing is changed for the operation of the differential-capacitance detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2001
    Publication date: March 31, 2005
    Inventors: Leo Tanten, Jochen Franz, Martin Schoefthaler, Marius Rohr, Harald Emmerich, Matthias Maute, Thomas Walker
  • Patent number: 6656368
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing micromechanical components, and a micromechanical component, in which a movable element is produced on a sacrificial layer. In a subsequent step the sacrificial layer beneath the movable element is removed so that the movable element becomes movable. After removal of the sacrificial layer, a protective layer is deposited on a surface of the movable element. Silicon oxide and/or silicon nitride is used for the protective layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Schoefthaler, Peter Hein, Helmut Skapa, Horst Muenzel
  • Publication number: 20030139040
    Abstract: The invention proposes a method for manufacturing micromechanical components, and a micromechanical component, in which a movable element (4) is produced on a sacrificial layer (2). In a subsequent step the sacrificial layer (2) beneath the movable element (4) is removed so that the movable element (4) becomes movable. After removal of the sacrificial layer (2), a protective layer (7) is deposited on a surface of the movable element (4). Silicon oxide and/or silicon nitride is used for the protective layer (7).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2000
    Publication date: July 24, 2003
    Inventors: MARTIN SCHOEFTHALER, PETER HEIN, HELMUT SKAPA, HORST MUENZEL
  • Patent number: 6520017
    Abstract: A micromechanical angular-acceleration sensor having a substrate, which has an anchoring device provided on the substrate. The sensor has a ring-shaped inertial mass joined to the anchoring device by a torsion-spring device such that the anchoring device is essentially located in the center of the ring. The ring-shaped inertial mass can then be elastically displaced from its resting position, about at least one rotational axis, by the angular acceleration to be detected. The sensor has a displaceable, first capacitor-plate device attached to the ring-shaped inertial mass, and a stationary, second capacitor-plate device attached to the substrate. The first and the second capacitor-plate devices are designed as a differential-capacitor device for detecting one of the parameters indicating the angular acceleration about the rotational axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Schoefthaler, Harald Emmerich
  • Patent number: 6462566
    Abstract: A sensor element, in particular for determining an angle of rotation, has a detection medium whose position varies as a function of a change in a parameter to be measured, where the change in the position of the detection medium leads to a change in an analyzable signal of the sensor element which is influenced by the detection medium. The detection medium has at least one conductor loop carrying current which is exposed to an external magnetic field; the detection medium is rotationally movably mounted so that a rotational motion of the sensor element about an angle of rotation in the plane of the magnetic field is converted into a deflection of the detection medium perpendicular to the magnetic field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Schoefthaler, Ralf Schellin, Bernd Maihoefer, Franz Laermer, Markus Lutz, Harald Emmerich, Joerg Kaienburg
  • Patent number: 6360605
    Abstract: A micromechanical device, in particular an acceleration sensor, includes a seismic mass which is resiliently supported on a substrate via a first flexural spring device and which can be deflected in at least one direction by an acceleration, the deflection being able to be limited by a stop device. The stop device has at least one limit stop that is resiliently supported on the substrate via a second flexural spring device, the second flexural spring device having a greater flexural strength than the first flexural spring device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2002
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Pinter, Martin Schoefthaler, Matthias Illing, Ralf Schellin, Helmut Baumann, Michael Fehrenbach, Dietrich Schubert, Georg Bischopink
  • Patent number: 6215318
    Abstract: A micromechanical magnetic field sensor includes a printed circuit trace device, which is suspended above a substrate and is capable of being deflected elastically. Also included are a first capacitor plate device that is joined to the printed circuit trace device and is able to be deflected together with the printed circuit trace device, and a second, fixed capacitor plate device that is joined to the substrate and forms a capacitor device by interacting with the first capacitor plate device. A magnetic field sensing device conducts a predetermined current through the printed circuit trace device and measures the change in capacitance of the capacitor device arising in dependence on an applied magnetic field. The magnetic field sensing device can also be designed in such a way that it can be calibrated by calibration current loops.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2001
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Schoefthaler, Ralf Schellin, Harald Emmerich, Joerg Kaienburg