<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>The abnormal phenomenon occurring in sensor calibration is an obstacle to product development but a useful guideline to product improvement. The sensitivity jump of micro accelerometers in the calibrating process is recognized as an important abnormal behavior and investigated in this paper. The characteristics of jumping output in the centrifuge test are theoretically and experimentally analyzed and their underlying mechanism is found to be related to the varied stiffness of supporting beam induced by the convex defect on it. The convex defect is normally formed by the lithography deviation and/or etching error and can result in a jumping stiffness of folded microbeams and further influence the sensitivity when a part of the bending beams is stopped from moving by two surfaces contacting. The jumping level depends on the location of convex and has nothing to do with the contacting properties of beam and defects. Then the location of defect is predicted by theoretical model and simulation and verified by the observation of micro structures under microscopy. The results indicate that the tested micro accelerometer has its defect on the beam with a distance of about 290μm from the border of proof mass block.</p></abstract>

The abnormal phenomenon occurring in sensor calibration is an obstacle to product development but a useful guideline to product improvement. The sensitivity jump of micro accelerometers in the calibrating process is recognized as an important abnormal behavior and investigated in this paper. The characteristics of jumping output in the centrifuge test are theoretically and experimentally analyzed and their underlying mechanism is found to be related to the varied stiffness of supporting beam induced by the convex defect on it. The convex defect is normally formed by the lithography deviation and/or etching error and can result in a jumping stiffness of folded microbeams and further influence the sensitivity when a part of the bending beams is stopped from moving by two surfaces contacting. The jumping level depends on the location of convex and has nothing to do with the contacting properties of beam and defects. Then the location of defect is predicted by theoretical model and simulation and verified by the observation of micro structures under microscopy. The results indicate that the tested micro accelerometer has its defect on the beam with a distance of about 290μm from the border of proof mass block.

Sensitivity Jump of Micro Accelerometer Induced by Micro-fabrication Defects of Micro Folded Beams

School of Mechatronics Engineering, University of Electronic Technology and Science of China, 2006 Xiyuan Ave., 611731, Chengdu, China

College of Mechanical Engineering, Chengdu Technological University, 1 Zhongxing Ave., 611730, Chengdu, China

Measurement Science Review

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

The abnormal phenomenon occurring in sensor calibration is an obstacle to product development but a useful guideline to product improvement. The sensitivity...

Sensitivity Jump of Micro Accelerometer Induced by Micro-fabrication Defects of Micro Folded Beams

Published Online: Aug 19, 2016

Page range: 228 - 234

Received: Jan 03, 2016

Accepted: Aug 10, 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/msr-2016-0028

Keywords
MEMS, micro accelerometer, stiffness, sensitivity, defect

© 2016 Wu Zhou et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Sensitivity Jump of Micro Accelerometer Induced by Micro-fabrication Defects of Micro Folded Beams

Published Online: Aug 19, 2016

Page range: 228 - 234

Received: Jan 03, 2016

Accepted: Aug 10, 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/msr-2016-0028

KeywordsMEMS, micro accelerometer, stiffness, sensitivity, defect

© 2016 Wu Zhou et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
MEMS, micro accelerometer, stiffness, sensitivity, defect