High-sensitivity accelerometer based on cold emission principle

Author

Shashkin, Vladimir I. ; Vostokov, Nikolai V. ; Vopilkin, Evgeny A. ; Klimov, Alexandr Yu ; Volgunov, Dmitry G. ; Rogov, Vladimir V. ; Lazarev, Sergey G.

Author_Institution

Inst. for Phys. of Microstructures, Russia Acad. of Sci., Nizhny Novgorod, Russia

Volume

4

Issue

2

fYear

2004

fDate

4/1/2004 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

211

Lastpage

215

Abstract

A possibility for fabrication of a high-sensitivity accelerometer is considered. The linear acceleration of a sensor causes displacement of the proof mass electrode. The displacement detector is based on a strong dependence of the tunneling or cold emission current on the gap between the electrodes. The geometry of the electrodes that provides the best sensitivity is determined. The accelerometer with tunneling-emission electrodes is fabricated. At frequencies up to 5 kHz the resolution reaches 10^-4 g/Hz¹2/ in the tunneling mode and 10^-3 g/Hz¹2/ in the emission mode.

Keywords

accelerometers; electron emission; cold emission current; cold emission principle; displacement detector; high-sensitivity accelerometer; linear acceleration; proof mass electrode; tunneling current; tunneling-emission electrodes; Accelerometers; Electrodes; Fabrication; Feedback; Frequency; Geometry; Preamplifiers; Sensor phenomena and characterization; Tunneling; Voltage;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Sensors Journal, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1530-437X

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/JSEN.2004.823683

Filename

1271269