MEMS Accelerometer based on electromagnetic transduction

Details

Supervisors

Flandre, Denis ; Francis, Laurent

Faculty

Ecole polytechnique de Louvain

Degree label

Master de spécialisation en nanotechnologies

Abstract

enThis Master thesis studies the design and optimisation of a MEMS accelerometer based on electromagnetic transduction. The main objective is to improve the voltage sensitivity of the device based on the geometric parameters of the mass-spring structure. An approach combining analytical modelling and numerical simulation using Matlab, Comsol and Ansys was used. The results show that increasing the mechanical sensitivity improves the voltage sensitivity. The best performance was obtained in AC mode. The total surface area of the device is \( 1740 \mu m\) x \( 2800 \mu m \). The two transformer inductors occupy a surface area of: \( 1900 \mu m\) x \( 840 \mu m \). In AC mode, a mass of 600 \( \mu m \) thick with a cantiliver plate thickness of 2.6 \( \mu m \) achieves a sensitivity of \( 5.56 mV/g \) at 74 Hz, while a mass of 300 \( \mu m \) with a cantiliver plate thickness of 5 \( \mu m \) provides only \( 0.024 mV/g \) but at a higher resonance frequency of \( 277 Hz \). This sensor is ideal for low-frequency applications such as inertial navigation, seismometry, transportation, and biomedical applications.