Design of MEMS presure sensor for environmental applications

In this paper, the design and analysis of diaphragm based Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) sensor for environmental applications is presented. Performance parameters like the maximum induced stress, deflection and sensitivity of the diaphragms have been compared using the INTELLISUITE software. In order to increase the sensitivity of pressure sensor, the membrane needs to be either thin or large to achieve good results. But there is tradeoff between stability, linearity and sensitivity. If membrane is thinner, the sensor structure is more unstable. With change in dimension and sensing material, better sensitivity can be observed.