High-Resolution MEMS Inclinometer Based on Pull-In Voltage

Author

Serra Alves, Filipe ; Alves Dias, Rosana ; Cabral, Jorge Miguel ; Gaspar, Joao ; Rocha, Luis Alexandre

Author_Institution

Dept. of Ind. Electron., Univ. of Minho, Guimaraes, Portugal

Volume

24

Issue

4

fYear

2015

fDate

Aug. 2015

Firstpage

931

Lastpage

939

Abstract

High-resolution pull-in-based microelectromechanical system (MEMS) inclinometers are presented in this paper. Pull-in is characterized by the sudden loss of stability in electrostatically actuated parallel-plate structures, and since pull-in voltage is stable and easy to measure, it enables an effective transduction mechanism that does not require complex and stable capacitive readout electronics. The MEMS devices used to test the novel architecture have differential actuation electrodes resulting in two pull-in voltages that change differentially with applied acceleration. Dedicated MEMS microstructures with extra proof mass show high sensitivity; 269 mV/° with a nonlinearity <;0.5% FS (Full Scale of ±23°). The measured noise is limited by the actuation mechanism, setting the sensor´s resolution at 75 $mu$ °; high above state-of-the-art MEMS devices. [2014-0156].

Keywords

attitude measurement; electrostatic actuators; measurement errors; microsensors; plates (structures); MEMS microstructures; differential actuation electrode; effective transduction mechanism; electrostatically actuated parallel plate structures; high-resolution MEMS inclinometer; measurement noise; pull-in voltage; pull-in voltages; pull-in-based microelectromechanical system; Acceleration; Electrodes; Micromechanical devices; Microstructure; Sensitivity; Sensors; Voltage measurement; FPGA; Inclinometer; MEMS; inclinometer; pull-in voltage;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Microelectromechanical Systems, Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1057-7157

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/JMEMS.2014.2359633

Filename

6917196