Fabrication of high precision microstructure using ICP etching for capacitive inclination sensor

Capacitive inclination sensors have the advantage because it could easily provide a linear analog output with respect to inclination. Since the dimensions of the sensing region are very small, then this sensor is expected to be widely used in fields where efficient and reliable position control is a primary factor to be considered if this sensor could be mass produced at low cost. Therefore, we proposed fabrication process based on transfer to resin using mold. We successfully fabricated a micro capacitive inclination sensor by a combination of a resin forming method and a mold. The sensor consists of a gap distance of 80 μm between its electrodes. The sensor detects difference of capacitance, which varied with movement of silicone oil accompanying with inclination. When the sensor was inclined, linear analog output was obtained within the range of −45 to +45°