Design, analysis, and fabrication of silicon-based MEMS gyroscope for high-g shock platform

Abstract

This paper proposes a silicon-based micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) tuning fork gyroscope designed for high-g shock environments. The results obtained by a shock experiment demonstrate that MEMS gyroscopes can still work well after a load of 30,000 g is applied to the y-axis. This MEMS gyroscope is double symmetrical and connected by middle coupling beams. The results obtained by mathematical analysis and finite element analysis revealed that the designed solid stoppers are helpful in improving the gyroscope’s shock resistance. The high aspect-ratio structures were fabricated by an efficient fabrication process using a silicon-on-glass wafer. To investigate the mechanical characteristics of the fabricated gyroscopes, the silicone’s fracture strength and Young’s modulus were obtained by conducting tensile tests. The working frequencies of the gyroscope were designed as 4000 Hz, and the driving and sensing modes in the test were 4095 Hz and 4137 Hz, respectively.