US 11,810,732 B2
Waterproof MEMS button device, package housing the button device, and method of manufacturing the button device
Enri Duqi, Milan (IT); Gabriele Gattere, Castronno (IT); and Carlo Valzasina, Gessate (IT)
Assigned to STMICROELECTRONICS S.r.l., Agrate Brianza (IT)
Filed by STMICROELECTRONICS S.r.l., Agrate Brianza (IT)
Filed on Mar. 9, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/690,869.
Claims priority of application No. 102021000006257 (IT), filed on Mar. 16, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0301789 A1, Sep. 22, 2022
Int. Cl. H01H 13/14 (2006.01); B81B 3/00 (2006.01); G01L 1/16 (2006.01); H01H 13/06 (2006.01); H10N 30/30 (2023.01)
CPC H01H 13/14 (2013.01) [B81B 3/0021 (2013.01); G01L 1/162 (2013.01); H01H 13/06 (2013.01); H10N 30/302 (2023.02); B81B 2201/018 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A device, comprising:
a support structure in a fixed position;
a movable structure surrounded by the support structure and coupled to the support structure through a protrusion that extends from the support structure, the movable structure including:
a suspended structure having a first stiffness, a first side coupled to the support structure through the protrusion, and a second and third side that extend from the first side;
a piston element configured to, in operation, translate along a direction of an external force;
a first and a second deformable element that extend from the second and the third sides, respectively, towards the piston element, and the first and second deformable elements have a second stiffness less than the first stiffness;
a first anchor with the second stiffness is coupled between the piston element and the first deformable element;
a second anchor with the second stiffness is coupled between the piston element and the second deformable element;
a first sensing element coupled to the first deformable element and configured to, in operation, sense a deformation of the first deformable element and generate a first signal indicative of the deformation of the first deformable element; and
a second sensing element coupled to the second deformable element and configured to, in operation, sense a deformation of the second deformable element and generate a second signal indicative of the deformation of the second sensing element; and
a cap coupled to the support structure by a fluid-tight seal, the fluid-tight seal extends around the movable structure.