Differential MEMS Sensor Noise Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in the semiconductor industry is to produce high-performance MEMS sensors at a low cost, as consumers often accept trade-offs between performance and price, particularly in volume-driven markets like sensors, where high-performance MEMS devices are required at a low price.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves incorporating multiple MEMS devices into a single sensor device, oriented in various configurations, such as orthogonal or parallel, to improve performance by averaging, integrating, or filtering data, providing redundant or differential data to enhance noise reduction and sensitivity, specifically using tri-axis accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple MEMS devices are incorporated into a single sensor device, then measurement precision and noise reduction are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple MEMS devices are merged into a single integrated sensor device, combining their sensing capabilities while sharing common support structures, electronics, and packaging to achieve improved measurement precision without proportionally increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated sensor device performs multiple sensing functions simultaneously through the combined MEMS devices, allowing a single device to provide redundant and differential data for enhanced measurement precision across various physical quantities
2Measurement precision
If multiple MEMS devices are used to provide redundant and differential data, then noise reduction is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple MEMS devices are manufactured and integrated together in a unified device structure, allowing shared fabrication processes, common packaging, and consolidated testing to reduce the per-unit manufacturing cost while maintaining noise reduction benefits
Solution Approach 2:
The MEMS devices use identical or similar structural designs and manufacturing processes, enabling standardized production techniques and simplifying the manufacturing workflow to control costs while achieving the required noise reduction through data fusion
3Measurement precision
If multiple MEMS devices are integrated with different orientations, then measurement precision and coverage are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
MEMS devices are oriented in different directions (e.g., orthogonal orientations) to capture measurements from multiple spatial dimensions, improving measurement coverage and precision while the asymmetric arrangement is integrated into a compact unified structure
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor device incorporates MEMS elements oriented along different spatial dimensions and axes, enabling three-dimensional measurement capability and enhanced coverage by utilizing multiple dimensional orientations within a single integrated device footprint
Data Source
AI summary
A MEMS device includes a first MEMS sensor associated with a first spatial plane and a second MEMS sensor is associated with a spatial second plane not co-planar with the first spatial plane, wherein the first MEMS sensor is configured to provide a first interrupt and a first data in response to a physical perturbation, wherein the second MEMS sensor is configured to provide a second interrupt and second data in response to the physical perturbation, and a controller configured to receive the first interrupt at a first time and the second interrupt at a second time different from the first time, wherein the controller is configured to determine a latency between the first time and the second time, and wherein the controller is configured to determine motion data in response to the first data, to the second data, and to the latency.