MEMS accelerometer with two thin film piezoelectric read-out

MEMS accelerometers using piezoelectric lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thin films as read-out have been attracting a great deal of attention due to their simple structures and high sensitivity. This paper proposes a model of microaccelerometer with two suspended flexural PZT-on-silicon beams and a central proof mass configuration. The geometry and elastic properties of the thin films have been taken into account when formulating the acceleration equations. To verify which vibration mode is the dominant one on the acceleration, mode analysis has been carried out by using MEMS software: CoventorWare. The analytical equation between charge and acceleration has been derived, which provides an opportunity to design the accelerometer. The research shows that the proposed accelerometer is simple to manufacturing, and reliable for large g conditions and wide frequency response