Silicon gyro with integrated driving and sensing structures

摘要

A rotation sensor is formed of three semiconductor wafers. A first wafer comprises a frame that surrounds a paddle. The rotation-sensitive paddle is surrounded on either of the opposed sides of the first wafer by rings of driven elements formed of radially-directed plateaus in the semiconductor material. Second and third wafers sandwich the first wafer. Each of the second and third wafers includes a first surface in which are formed concentric rings of driver and pickoff electrodes. In a preferred embodiment, the rings of pickoff electrodes are split into two semicircular arcs.