Predicting the Resonance Frequencies in Geometric Nonlinear Actuated MEMS

The operation range of today's micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) continues to enter the geometric nonlinear regime due to miniaturization and performance requirements. One example is the MEMS Coriolis Vibratory Gyroscope (CVG), where the drive mode operates beyond the structural width, causing a change in resonance frequency upon displacement amplitude. Getting good estimates for this change in frequency has been a major issue in the development of CVGs over the past 20 years. In this paper, we present simulation methods and strategies to extract the nonlinear frequencies of such actuated MEMS from the finite element model of the device. The methods are explained in detail and benchmarked with two MEMS structures. As result, we find that the new methods fulfill the accuracy and performance requirements to aid MEMS designers in developing and optimizing the mechanical structure of their devices.