New surface micromachined angular rate sensor for vehicle stabilizing systems in automotive applications

Current developments in vehicle dynamics control systems and future advanced high performance vehicle stabilizing systems demand higher performance of the inertial signals of the vehicle´s dynamics, especially the angular rate signals: higher accuracy and better signal to noise ratio, high signal refresh rates, higher robustness and insensitivity against external interference, higher system availability and reliability, easier applicability (e.g. additional measuring axes). This paper presents a third generation angular rate sensor cluster MM3.x suitable for high volume production, meeting those demands. Design concepts of the core component - the new angular rate sensor module SMG - are unveiled, giving it outstanding functional performance compared to similar surface micromachined gyroscopes.