Three-axis MEMS combined sensor for electronic stability control system

We developed a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) combined sensor that can measure two-axis accelerations and angular rate (rotation) for use in electronic stability control systems for automobiles. The recent trend of mounting combined sensors in the engine compartment of vehicles has led to a dramatic increase in the operation temperature range as well as demands for immunity to environmental disturbances such as vibration. In this paper, we propose a combined sensor that has one gyroscopic part and two acceleration parts placed on a single die. We used a deformation-robust MEMS structure to ensure stable operation over a wide temperature range (–40 to 125 °C) in the engine compartment. A package as small as 10 × 19 × 4 mm was achieved by using through silicon via and wafer-level package technologies. The performance of the sensor was sufficient to meet current automotive standards. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn, 95(7): 49–57, 2012; Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI 10.1002/ecj.11376