A laterally driven micromachined resonant pressure sensor

Welham, Chris; Gardner, Julian W.; Greenwood, J. C.

doi:10.1016/0924-4247(96)80130-0

Cited by 53 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…The use of a laterally driven polysilicon comb structure as strain-sensitive resonant element for a pressure sensor has been reported by Druck and the University of Warwick [77]. The electrostatically excited resonator is operated in air with a Q-factor of about 50.…”

Section: Pressure Sensorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The surface-micromachined polysilicon resonator is fabricated on a 20 mm thick silicon membrane. With a resonance frequency around 52 kHz, a pressure sensitivity of 8.8 kHz/bar was measured [77]. Figure 1.16 shows an infrared photograph of the laterally driven polysilicon resonator on top of the 20 mm thick silicon membrane and an SEM photograph of the polysilicon resonator itself [77].…”

Section: Pressure Sensorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Micromachined Resonant Sensors— an Overview

Brand

Baltes

1998

Sensors Update

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Section: Pressure Sensorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Pressure Sensorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Micromachined Resonant Sensors— an Overview

Brand

Baltes

1998

Sensors Update

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“…Due to the nonlinear behavior, the -factor of the device has had to be determined from observation of the resonator's vibrations in the SEM in a manner similar to that used in [6]. The -factor of the resonator has been estimated to be 40 000 obtained through observation of the −3-dB point in the SEM.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1). Lateral vibrations are advantageous since the mechanical coupling between the energy loss through the resonator supports and resonant modes of the surrounding structure is minimized [6]. For example, in the case of a resonator mounted on a diaphragm, the diaphragm is free to move in a direction perpendicular to the resonator vibrations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Micromachined silicon resonant strain gauges fabricated using SOI wafer technology

Beeby

Ensell

Baker

et al. 2000

J. Microelectromech. Syst.

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The optimum mode of double-ended tuning-fork-style resonators is a lateral vibration in the plane of the wafer. Lateral vibrations are typically excited using the comb drive approach, but this requires modification to the resonator structure. This paper reports a simple method for exciting and detecting lateral vibrations without modifying the resonator, thereby enabling the optimum dynamically balanced structure to be used. This approach uses plane electrodes positioned parallel to the resonator's tines to excite the vibrations while the change in resistance along the length of the resonator enables the vibrations to be detected. Test devices have been fabricated in single-crystal silicon using the buried oxide in silicon-on-insulator wafers as a sacrificial layer. The resonators are 340-m long, 3-m thick with tines 2-m wide. The gap between the tines and the electrode is 2 m. Visual inspection in a scanning electron microscope and electrical tests have confirmed the validity of this approach. [475]

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“…A resonant sensor was chosen for its numerous advantages compared to other sensor types such as piezoresistive or capacitive diaphragm-based sensors and Pirani gauges. Since resonant sensors rely on variations in frequency as opposed to amplitude, they are less susceptible to noise and interference [4,5]. This translates into measurements with a high degree of accuracy, as well as increased sensitivity and resolution.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

A MEMS-based temperature-compensated vacuum sensor for low-power monolithic integration

Taghvaei

Cicek

Allidina

et al. 2010

Proceedings of 2010 IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems

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This paper presents a MEMS resonator-based vacuum sensor with a low-power transimpedance amplifier and a mixer-based frequency-to-digital converter. The MEMS resonator is fabricated in a CMOS-compatible process, and a 130 nm CMOS technology is used to design the integrated circuitry. The vacuum sensor operates in the pressure range from 10 to 1200 mbar with a resolution of ~2 mbar. The system is temperature-compensated between -10°C and 60°C. The simulated power consumption of the entire system is less than 495 W from a 1 V supply. I. INTRODUCTIONVacuum sensors are essential to monitor pressure levels in a variety of applications, e.g. aerospace, automotive, medical, etc. These sensors must be accurate in the presence of environmental variations, e.g. of temperature, while still providing a low-power, low-cost, and compact solution, especially in mobile applications. A MEMS beam resonator, whose frequency of vibration shifts with ambient pressure variations, was designed to ensure accuracy over a wide range of temperatures. The MEMS process used to fabricate this resonator is fully compatible with standard CMOS technology, allowing for a single-chip solution with features such as temperature compensation and auto-calibration. This work expands on the previously demonstrated concept of mixing resonant frequencies [1, 2] to create a low-power integrated pressure sensor system. The system offers accurate and reliable performance over a wide temperature span, while still exhibiting the sensing range of many commercial sensors, e.g. [3]. A resonant sensor was chosen for its numerous advantages compared to other sensor types such as piezoresistive or capacitive diaphragm-based sensors and Pirani gauges. Since resonant sensors rely on variations in frequency as opposed to amplitude, they are less susceptible to noise and interference [4,5]. This translates into measurements with a high degree of accuracy, as well as increased sensitivity and resolution. Resonant sensors also exhibit better long-term stability than piezoresistive and capacitive counterparts [6], both of which involve diaphragms that are susceptible to wear and tear. Moreover, resonant sensors are less prone to hysteresis effects, which can adversely affect other sensor types [5].This paper first discusses the MEMS resonator sensor, then describes the sensing system, and finally presents the simulation results.

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A laterally driven micromachined resonant pressure sensor

Cited by 53 publications

References 7 publications

Micromachined Resonant Sensors— an Overview

Micromachined Resonant Sensors— an Overview

Micromachined silicon resonant strain gauges fabricated using SOI wafer technology

A MEMS-based temperature-compensated vacuum sensor for low-power monolithic integration

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