摘要 |
A six-axis force sensor 1 consists of a sensor chip having a six-axis force sensor function formed using a semiconductor substrate 2 and film-forming technology. Connecting parts 5A to 5D are each made up of a high-rigidity bridge part and a low-rigidity elastic part. Semiconductor strain resistance devices Sya1-Sya3, Syb1-Syb3, Sxa1-Sxa3, and Sxb1-Sxb3 consisting of active layers are disposed on the front sides of the connecting parts. The elastic parts of the connecting parts absorb excess strains acting on the connecting parts and suppress the occurrence of strain spread over the whole semiconductor substrate. Because forces and moments of six specified axis components cause strains to occur selectively in corresponding strain resistance devices, by suitably combining measured results from selected resistance devices it is possible to effectively separate an applied external force into six components of force and moment and greatly suppress other axis interference in the measured results. As a results six components of force and moment of an external force can be measured with good reproducibility on the basis of the strains arising in the resistance devices disposed on the connecting parts.
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