Abstract
The micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS)-based sensor technologies are considered to be the enabling factor for the future development of smart sensing applications, mainly due to their small size, low power consumption and relatively low cost. This paper presents a new structurally and thermally stable design of a resonant mode-matched electrostatic z-axis MEMS gyroscope considering the foundry constraints of relatively low cost and commercially available silicon-on-insulator multi-user MEMS processes (SOIMUMPs) microfabrication process. The novelty of the proposed MEMS gyroscope design lies in the implementation of two separate masses for the drive and sense axis using a unique mechanical spring configuration that allows minimizing the cross-axis coupling between the drive and sense modes. For frequency mismatch compensation between the drive and sense modes due to foundry process uncertainties and gyroscope operating temperature variations, a comb-drive-based electrostatic tuning is implemented in the proposed design. The performance of the MEMS gyroscope design is verified through a detailed coupled-field electric-structural-thermal finite element method (FEM)-based analysis.
Highlights
By considering a linear relation between the input angular velocity and the displacement in the sense direction, the mechanical sensitivity for the proposed micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) gyroscope increases from 1.370 ×10−4 to 4.643 ×10−4 μm/deg/s, meaning that the tuning application allows an increase in the mechanical sensitivity by 238.9%
By considering a linear relation between the input angular velocity and the displacement in the sense direction, the mechanical sensitivity for the proposed MEMS gyroscope increases from 1.370 × 10 to 4.643 × 10 μm/deg/s, meaning that the tuning application allows an increase in the mechanical sensitivity by 238.9%
The per× 1816 μm, is designed following the foundry process limitations of relatively low c formance of the MEMS gyroscope design has been verified through detailed coupled-field and electric-structural-thermal commercially available
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. In addition to the structural complexity, the issue of low mechanical sensitivity is inherent to nonresonant MEMS gyroscope designs Another method of reducing the frequency difference between the drive- and sense-mode resonant frequency values in MEMS gyroscopes is to implement the additional feedback control electronics for the error compensation, which leads to the addition of electrical noise and operational complexity [10,11,12]. The designs utilizing multiple proof masses operate in the antiphase mode, which assures minimization of the net reaction forces and moments on the anchors and mitigates the energy loss through the substrate [15] This design approach results in a larger overall size but better performance. The working of the proposed design is verified through coupled field electro-mechanical-thermal finite element method (FEM) simulations with the demonstration of the electrostatic tuning effectiveness for the mode-matching between the drive and sense modes of the MEMS gyroscope
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