Trampoline-Shaped Micro Electric-Field Sensor for AC/DC High Electric Field Measurement

The measurement of high electric field is widely used in applications such as power grid, electrical equipment, space launch, petroleum industry, and meteorological monitoring. Traditional electric field measurement methods, such as field mills, are bulky and cause electric field distortion. In this article, we presented a trampoline-shaped microelectric field sensor (E-sensor) based on microelectromechanical system (MEMS). The micro E-sensor uses the effect of electrostatic induction, which generates force that drives the vibration of a piezoresistive film and converts the electric field into a differential voltage signal. The presented E-sensor can measure both ac and dc high electric fields with relatively high resolution and wide range. Through experimental measurement, the device exhibits an ac resolution of 172 V/m/Hz
^1/2
and a linear measurable electric field range of 312 V/m to over 700 kV/m. The presented E-sensor has good performance with mm-level size and low cost, which could be mass produced for broad applications.