Development of A Z-Axis Out of Plane MEMS Accelerometer

MEMS are minute electro-mechanical systems that are able to sense small changes in the environment and are responsible for a large chunk of the sensor market. MEMS inertial sensors such as gyroscopes and accelerometers have helped in realizing new products across a multitude of fields. One of the next aspects of MEMS Inertial sensors is the Internet of Things [IOT] and Industry 4.0. Hence, the following work depicts a sensor element design for vibration detection in Out Of Plane [OOP] axis (z-axis) proposed for closed loop control considering a system bandwidth of 20 kHz. The current work highlights the concept of an "anti-phase" design type sensor element developed considering either top or bottom electrodes allowing for the possibility of closed loop control. The translational motion of the sensor element along with the larger mass elements provides higher performance and lower noise. The analysis indicates a sensor element with size 1mm*1mm showcasing a specific open loop sensor sensitivity per area of 1.12 nF/g/m
²
with resonance frequency of 10.5 kHz and can be considered as a viable alternative to see-saw design type.