Surface Micromachined MEMS Accelerometers on Flexible Polyimide Substrate

Capacitive accelerometers were designed, fabricated and characterized on Si and flexible polyimide substrates with sensitivities ranging between 8.9–23 fF/g and 2.5–9.2 fF/g for
$z$
-axis and lateral axes, respectively. UV-LIGA process in conjunction with Ni electroplating was utilized to form the proof mass. Measured sensitivities on the flexible accelerometers were higher than the predictions of the simulations, ranging between 22–27 fF/g in the
$z$
axis and 12–18 fF/g in the lateral axes, respectively.