Simulation for stability of a beam-mass based high-resolution MEMS gravimeter

In this paper, stability and mechanistic simulations for a four-beam-mass-based MEMS gravimeter were conducted, and guidelines for the gravimeter design were proposed. Based on a prototyped MEMS device, the nonlinear finite element model was validated first against the experimental results. Then, we demonstrated three different scenarios in...

High-resolution MEMS inertial sensor combining large-displacement buckling behaviour with integrated capacitive readout

Commercially available gravimeters and seismometers can be used for measuring Earth’s acceleration at resolution levels in the order of ng∕Hz (where g represents earth’s gravity) but they are typically high-cost and bulky. In this work the design of a bulk micromachined MEMS device exploiting non-linear buckling behaviour is described, aiming...

Designing a 100 [aF/nm] capacitive transducer

The mechanical part of inertial sensors can be designed to have a large mechanical sensitivity, but also requires the transduction mechanism which translates this displacement. The overall system resolution in mechanical inertial sensors is dictated by the noise contribution of each stage and the magnitude of each sensitivity, see also Figure...

Non-linear bulk micromachined accelerometer for high sensitivity applications

This work describes the design, modelling and realisation of the mechanical part of a non-linear MEMS accelerometer intended for large displacement behaviour. For this, a mass/spring system was designed with an extremely low resonance frequency. In this work the mechanical behaviour was verified by measurements done using an optical setup,...

High aspect ratio spiral resonators for process variation investigation and MEMS applications

In this work a method is described to investigate process variations across a wafer. Through wafer MEMS spiral resonators were designed, simulated, fabricated and characterized by measuring the eigenfrequency and corresponding mode shapes. Measuring the eigenfrequency and resulting spectral behavior of resonators on different locations on the...