Reducing the effect of glass charging in MEMS devices

摘要

A method of controlling exposed glass charging in a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) device is disclosed. The method includes providing a MEMS device comprising a proof mass positioned apart from at least one sense plate and at least one outboard metallization layer, wherein at least one conductive glass layer is coupled to the sense plate and the outboard metallization layer, the conductive glass layer including at least one exposed glass portion near the proof mass; and applying a first voltage to the sense plate and a second voltage to the outboard metallization layer. The first voltage is separated from the second voltage by a predetermined voltage level such that the exposed glass portion has an average voltage corresponding to a voltage midway between the first voltage and the second voltage.

主权项

1. A method of controlling exposed glass charging in a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) device, the method comprising:
providing a MEMS device comprising a proof mass positioned apart from at least one sense plate and at least one outboard metallization layer, wherein at least one conductive glass layer is coupled to the at least one sense plate and the at least one outboard metallization layer, the at least one conductive glass layer including at least one exposed glass portion near the proof mass; applying an electrical potential to the proof mass; and applying a first voltage to the at least one sense plate and a second voltage to the at least one outboard metallization layer, the first voltage separated from the second voltage by a predetermined voltage level such that the at least one exposed glass portion has an average voltage corresponding to a voltage midway between the first voltage and the second voltage, wherein the average voltage of the at least one exposed glass portion is at the same potential as that of the proof mass; wherein the first voltage is non-symmetrically separated from the second voltage, and the electrical potential applied to the proof mass is non-zero.