MEMS accelerometers for mechanical vibrations analysis: a comprehensive review with applications

Abstract

In this paper, the use of MEMS accelerometers for measuring mechanical vibrations is presented. Also a wide review of the literature is performed by presenting the uses of the MEMS accelerometers in a great number of applications. These sensors are known for their low prices, low power consumption and low sizes, which enhance their use in applications such as energy harvesters, monitoring processes and for educational purposes. In order to propose these sensors for measuring vibrations, a complete evaluation of the MEMS accelerometers was performed by measuring amplitudes and frequencies of oscillations and comparing their dynamic characteristics with other accelerometers with higher precision. Moreover, two experiments were conducted: In the first one, the measurements of the amplitude given by a MEMS and a standard accelerometer while being excited with sinusoidal waves with different frequencies using a vibration exciter were taken and compared. For the second experiment, three MEMS sensors and a piezoelectric accelerometer were used to measure the accelerations of a 3-DOF shear-building excited by an unbalanced DC motor. The signals obtained were compared in the time and frequency domains; for the last case, the wavelet transform, the wavelet coherence and the power spectrum density were used.

A New Non-Invasive Air-Based Actuator for Characterizing and Testing MEMS Devices

“…Due to the effects of testing methods on the final cost, it is vital to design novel methods and optimize current processes of testing to minimize the corresponding cost as far as possible. To do so, it is necessary to enhance the test efficacy by testing numerous DUTs (device under test) in parallel [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. MEMS device testing methods target specific sorts of failures that can occur during the fabrication and packaging processes, or after being released into the market.…”

“…There are MEMS devices that do not have movable parts such as microcantilevers, but there are frictions between components such as relays, thermal actuators, etc. Debris is created when MEMS working components slide on each other, which is the main source of device failure [15]. The only categories of MEMS devices targeted in this study are inertial sensors, pressure sensors, and microcantilever-based sensors, which contain at least one movable and elastic part as sensing element.…”

“…Most of this market will be mechanical sensors such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, pressure sensors, micromirrors, Radio Frequesncy (RF) MEMS, oscillators, etc. This huge market needs formidable manufacturing processes on the one hand, and on the other, needs more economical and high-throughput testing equipment [15,16]. MEMS devices are becoming more complex, and instead of bearing one axis, they are relying on three axes to be adapted to multiple applications in a single chip.…”

“…MEMS devices are becoming more complex, and instead of bearing one axis, they are relying on three axes to be adapted to multiple applications in a single chip. This situation significantly complicates the testing mechanism and decreases the throughput, which is not appropriate for this huge market in the near future [15].…”

“…MEMS accelerometers, for instance, which work based on comb drive microcantilevers, are attractive in various sectors of industries, from automobiles to healthcare [17]. Their causes of failure have been reported as fracture, fatigue, mechanical wear, charging, and change in friction forces [15,18]. The reliability test for MEMS accelerometers includes lifetime analysis, fatigue and creep, and so on, which are too complex to be tested on the production line.…”