We present an analytical model that gives the values of squeeze film damping and spring coefficients for MEMS cantilever resonators taking into account the effect of flexural modes of the resonator. We use the exact mode shapes of a 2D cantilever plate to solve for pressure in the squeeze film and then derive the equivalent damping and spring coefficient relations from the back force calculations. The relations thus obtained can be used for any flexural mode of vibration of the resonators. We validate the analytical formulae by comparing the results with numerical simulations carried out using coupled finite element analysis in ANSYS, as well as experimentally measured values from MEMS cantilever resonators of various sizes vibrating in different modes. The analytically predicted values of damping are, in the worst case, within less than 10% of the values obtained experimentally or numerically. We also compare the results with previously reported analytical formulae based on approximate flexural mode shapes and show that the current results give much better estimates of the squeeze film damping. From the analytical model presented here, we find that the squeeze film damping drops by 84% from the first mode to the second mode in a cantilever resonator, thus improving the quality factor by a factor of 6 to 7. This result has significant implications in using cantilever resonators for mass detection where a significant increase in the quality factor is obtained by using a vacuum.

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A semi-analytical approach is presented to model the effects of complicated boundary conditions and rarefaction on the squeeze-film damping dependent quality factor in a double-gimballed MEMS torsion mirror. To compute squeeze-film damping in a rectangular torsion mirror with simple boundaries, compact models derived by solving the conventional Reynolds equation with zero pressure boundary conditions on the edges of the plate are generally used. These models are not applicable if the air-gap thickness is comparable to the length of the plate. To extend the validity of the existing models in devices with large air-gap thickness and complicated boundaries, we present a procedure that requires the computation of the effective length of the structure and uses this length for the computation of damping in all flow regimes using a modified effective viscosity model. The effective length is computed by comparing the damping obtained from a numerical solution of Navier-Stokes equations with that obtained from a Reynolds-equation-based compact model. To capture the effect of rarefaction in different flow regimes, we use two different approaches: the effective viscosity approach which is valid for continuum, slip, transition and molecular flow regimes, and an approach based on the free molecular model which is valid only in a molecular flow regime. We show that the effective length obtained for complicated structures in the continuum regime may still be used to capture the rarefaction effect in the slip, transition and molecular regimes. On comparing different empirical models based on the effective viscosity approach with experimental results, we find some anomaly in the region between the molecular regime and the intrinsic regime where non-fluid damping dominates. To improve modelling in the rarified regimes, we modify the best model among the existing models by minimizing error obtained with respect to the experimental results. We find that the proposed model captures the rarefaction effect not only in the slip, transition and molecular regimes but also couples well with the non-fluid damping in the intrinsic regime and captures the transition to purely intrinsic losses.

The active structural component of a capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) is the top plate which vibrates under the influence of a time-varying electrostatic force thereby producing ultrasound waves of the desired frequency in the surrounding medium. Analysis of MEMS devices which rely on electrostatic actuation is complicated due to the fact that the structural deformations alter the electrostatic forces, which redistribute and modify the applied loads. Hence, it becomes imperative to consider the electrostatics-structure coupling aspect in the design of these devices. This paper presents an approximate analytical solution for the static deflection of a thin, clamped circular plate caused by electrostatic forces which are inherently nonlinear. Traditionally, finite element simulations using some commercial software such as ANSYS are employed to determine the structural deflections caused by electrostatic forces. Since the structural deformation alters the electrostatic field, a coupled-field simulation is required wherein the electrostatic mesh is continuously updated to coincide with the deflection of the structure. Such simulations are extremely time consuming, in addition to being nontransparent and somewhat hard to implement. We employ the classical thin-plate theory which is adequate when the ratio of the diameter to thickness of the plate is very large, a situation commonly prevalent in many MEMS devices, especially the CMUTs. We solve the thin-plate electrostatic-elastic equation using the Galerkin-weighted residual technique, under the assumption that the deflections are small in comparison to the thickness of the plate. The evaluation of the electrostatic force between the two plates is simplified due to the fact that the electrostatic gap is much smaller than the lateral dimensions of the device. The results obtained are compared to those found from ANSYS simulations and an excellent agreement is observed between the two. The pull-in voltage predicted by our model is close to the value predicted by ANSYS simulations.Index Terms-Capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT), capacitive sensors, electrostatic forces, MEMS, pull-in voltage, thin plate, ultrasonic transducers.

Closed-form expressions for the stiffness and the damping coefficients of a squeeze film are derived for MEMS devices with perforated back plates. Two kinds of perforation configurations are considered-staggered and matrix or non-staggered configuration. The analytical solutions are motivated from the observation of repetitive pressure patterns obtained from numerical (FEM) solutions of the compressible Reynolds equation for the two configurations using ANSYS. A single pressure pattern is isolated and further subdivided into circular pressure cells. Circular geometry is used based on observed symmetry. Using suitable boundary conditions, the Reynolds equation is analytically solved over the pressure cells. The complex pressure obtained is used to identify the stiffness and damping offered by the pressure cells. The stiffness and damping forces due to pressure cells within a pattern are added up separately. In turn, the stiffness and damping due to all the patterns are summed up resulting in the stiffness and damping forces due to the entire squeeze film. The damping and spring forces thus obtained analytically are compared with those obtained from the FEM simulations in ANSYS. The match is found to be very good. The regime of validity and limitations of the analytical solutions are assessed in terms of design parameters such as pitch to air gap, hole length to diameter and pitch to hole radius ratios. The analysis neglects inertial effects. Hence, the results are presented for low values of Reynolds number.