Micro G Silicon Accelerometers With High Performance Cmos Interface Circuitry

Micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) devices are widely used for inertia, pressure, and ultrasound sensing applications. Research on integrated MEMS technology has undergone extensive development driven by the requirements of a compact footprint, low cost, and increased functionality. Accelerometers are among the most widely used sensors implemented in MEMS technology. MEMS accelerometers are showing a growing presence in almost all industries ranging from automotive to medical. A traditional MEMS accelerometer employs a proof mass suspended to springs, which displaces in response to an external acceleration. A single proof mass can be used for one- or multi-axis sensing. A variety of transduction mechanisms have been used to detect the displacement. They include capacitive, piezoelectric, thermal, tunneling, and optical mechanisms. Capacitive accelerometers are widely used due to their DC measurement interface, thermal stability, reliability, and low cost. However, they are sensitive to electromagnetic field interferences and have poor performance for high-end applications (e.g., precise attitude control for the satellite). Over the past three decades, steady progress has been made in the area of optical accelerometers for high-performance and high-sensitivity applications but several challenges are still to be tackled by researchers and engineers to fully realize opto-mechanical accelerometers, such as chip-scale integration, scaling, low bandwidth, etc. This Special Issue on "MEMS Accelerometers" seeks to highlight research papers, short communications, and review articles that focus on: Novel designs, fabrication platforms, characterization, optimization, and modeling of MEMS accelerometers. Alternative transduction techniques with special emphasis on opto-mechanical sensing. Novel applications employing MEMS accelerometers for consumer electronics, industries, medicine, entertainment, navigation, etc. Multi-physics design tools and methodologies, including MEMS-electronics co-design. Novel accelerometer technologies and 9DoF IMU integration. Multi-accelerometer platforms and their data fusion.

Most MEMS accelerometers on the market today are capacitive accelerometers that are based on the displacement sensing mechanism. This book is intended to cover recent developments of MEMS silicon oscillating accelerometers (SOA), also referred to as MEMS resonant accelerometer. As contrast to the capacitive accelerometer, the MEMS SOA is based on the force sensing mechanism, where the input acceleration is converted to a frequency output. MEMS Silicon Oscillating Accelerometers and Readout Circuits consists of six chapters and covers both MEMS sensor and readout circuit, and provides an in-depth coverage on the design and modelling of the MEMS SOA with several recently reported prototypes. The book is not only useful to researchers and engineers who are familiar with the topic, but also appeals to those who have general interests in MEMS inertial sensors. The book includes extensive references that provide further information on this topic.

This edition of 'CMOS-MEMS' was originally published in the successful series 'Advanced Micro & Nanosystems'. Here, the combination of the globally established, billion dollar chip mass fabrication technology CMOS with the fascinating and commercially promising new world of MEMS is covered from all angles. The book introduces readers to this fi eld and takes them from fabrication technologies and material charaterization aspects to the actual applications of CMOS-MEMS - a wide range of miniaturized physical, chemical and biological sensors and RF systems. Vital knowledge on circuit and system integration issues concludes this in-depth treatise, illustrating the advantages of combining CMOS and MEMS in the first place, rather than having a hybrid solution.

Handbook of Silicon Based MEMS Materials and Technologies, Third Edition is a comprehensive guide to MEMS materials, technologies, and manufacturing with a particular emphasis on silicon as the most important starting material used in MEMS. The book explains the fundamentals, properties (mechanical, electrostatic, optical, etc.), materials selection, preparation, modeling, manufacturing, processing, system integration, measurement, and materials characterization techniques of MEMS structures. The third edition of this book provides an important up-to-date overview of the current and emerging technologies in MEMS making it a key reference for MEMS professionals, engineers, and researchers alike, and at the same time an essential education material for undergraduate and graduate students. Provides comprehensive overview of leading-edge MEMS manufacturing technologies through the supply chain from silicon ingot growth to device fabrication and integration with sensor/actuator controlling circuits Explains the properties, manufacturing, processing, measuring and modeling methods of MEMS structures Reviews the current and future options for hermetic encapsulation and introduces how to utilize wafer level packaging and 3D integration technologies for package cost reduction and performance improvements Geared towards practical applications presenting several modern MEMS devices including inertial sensors, microphones, pressure sensors and micromirrors