Micro-machined resonant out-of-plane accelerometer with a differential structure fabricated by silicon-on-insulator–MEMS technology

A new micro-machined resonant accelerometer with a differential structure enabling the detection of out-of-plane acceleration is described. The microaccelerometer consists of two sensitive structures composed of seismic masses, flexural hinges and double-clamped resonant beams. Owing to thickness differences and neutral axis variations among these three components, in response to an out-of-plane acceleration, the movements of the seismic masses lead to stress build up in flexural hinges, further translated as axial forces applied on resonant beams. In this differential design, under acceleration, one resonant beam is under a tensile stress, whereas the other one is under a compressive stress, producing a differential resonant frequency output. The microaccelerometer was fabricated by a silicon-direct-bonding silicon-on-insulator wafer with MEMS fabrication and a low-stress packaging method was also developed. Based on a closed-loop control circuit for resonant beam excitation and detection, device characterisation was conducted, producing a quality factor of 436 in air and a differential sensitivity of 813 Hz/g.