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17 pages, 4160 KB

Open AccessArticle

High-Precision MEMS Resonant Pressure Sensor for Real-Time Barometric Monitoring

by Fei Xia, Shuang Pang, Yutong Bai, Zishuai Zhang, Lulu Feng, Yizheng Hou, Yuxiang Wang, Zhiyu Liu, Yifei Sun, Jiwei Wang and Shiyu Wang

Micromachines 2026, 17(6), 717; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi17060717 - 12 Jun 2026

Viewed by 338

Abstract

Addressing the urgent demand for high-precision pressure measurement in real-time barometric monitoring, aerospace, and industrial control, this paper presents a high-accuracy MEMS resonant pressure sensor based on electrostatic excitation and piezoresistive detection. The sensor incorporates a symmetric double-ended fixed-finger comb-drive resonator structure, driven into stable vibration at its natural frequency by an alternating electrostatic force. Piezoresistors integrated at the root of the resonant beams transduce the mechanical vibration into a frequency output, enabling precise external pressure measurement. Experimental results show that the developed sensor achieves an accuracy of 0.009% FS over a pressure range of 0–350 kPa across an operating temperature span from −30 °C to 50 °C, with a room-temperature repeatability error below 0.008% FS, demonstrating excellent measurement stability. Building on this performance, a real-time atmospheric pressure monitoring experiment was conducted, yielding a mean absolute percentage error of less than 0.05%, highlighting the sensor’s potential for engineering practicality. This work provides an effective technique for a high-precision, high-stability resonant pressure sensor, with clear potential for deployment in real-time barometric monitoring, aerospace, and industrial control applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue MEMS Sensors and Actuators: Design, Fabrication and Applications, 2nd Edition)

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20 pages, 6026 KB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of Collapse–Snapback Phenomena in Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasound Transducers

by Chloé Halbach, Veronique Rochus, Jan Genoe, Xavier Rottenberg, David Cheyns and Paul Heremans

Micromachines 2025, 16(2), 160; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi16020160 - 29 Jan 2025

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4105

Abstract

The pull-in and pull-out voltages are important characteristics of Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasound Transducers (CMUTs), marking the transition between conventional and collapse operation regimes. These voltages are commonly determined using capacitance–voltage (C-V) sweeps. By modeling the operating conditions of an LCR meter in COMSOL Multiphysics^®, we demonstrate that the measured capacitance comprises both static and dynamic capacitances, with the dynamic capacitance causing the appearance of a peak in the effective C-V curve. Furthermore, Laser Doppler Vibrometer (LDV) measurements and electromechanical simulations indicate the occurrence of collapse–snapback phenomena during the C-V sweeps. This study, through advanced simulations and experimental analyses, demonstrates that the transient membrane behavior significantly affects the apparent capacitance–voltage characteristics of electrostatically actuated Micro-Electromechanical Systems (MEMS). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue MEMS Ultrasonic Transducers)

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13 pages, 4124 KB

Open AccessArticle

A Novel Mechanical Frequency Tuning Method Based on Mass-Stiffness Decoupling for MEMS Gyroscopes

by Chuanfu Chen, Kai Wu, Kuo Lu, Qingsong Li, Chengxiang Wang, Xuezhong Wu, Beizhen Wang and Dingbang Xiao

Micromachines 2022, 13(7), 1052; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13071052 - 30 Jun 2022

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3063

Abstract

MEMS gyroscopes play an important role in inertial navigation measurements, which mainly works in n = 2 mode. However, mode matching is the basis for high-precision detection, which can improve the sensitivity, resolution, and signal-to-noise ratio of the gyroscopes. An initial frequency split is inevitably generated during the manufacturing process. There are two methods to eliminate the frequency split and to achieve mode matching for the gyroscopes, which are electrostatic tuning and mechanical trimming, respectively. In this paper, we report a novel ring MEMS resonator and a novel method of mechanical frequency tuning. The most prominent characteristic of the resonator is that 16 raised mass blocks are increased in the circumferential positions of the ring uniformly. This structural design can achieve mass-stiffness decoupling, which means that punching holes on the mass blocks only affects the mass distribution but the stiffness is almost unchanged for the resonator. We verify the mass-stiffness decoupling by way of comparing the simulation with the conventional resonator. In addition, we put up an online tuning platform based on a femtosecond laser and reduce a resonator’s frequency split from 23.3 Hz to 0.4 Hz, which reveals that the frequency split is linearly related to the removed mass. These findings will have a referential significance for other transducers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue MEMS Gyroscopes)

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23 pages, 6095 KB

Open AccessReview

Ferroelectric and Ferroelastic Domain Related Formation and Influential Mechanisms of Vapor Deposited Piezoelectric Thin Films

by Chu Chen, Jian Song, Qi Zhang, Mingyu Gong, Yue Liu and Tongxiang Fan

Coatings 2021, 11(12), 1437; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings11121437 - 24 Nov 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3464

Abstract

Compared to the bulk piezoelectric materials counterpart, piezoelectric thin films (PTFs) possess advantages of smaller size, lower power consumption, better sensitivity, and have broad application in advanced micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) devices. However, the performance of MEMS transducers and actuators are largely limited by PTFs piezoelectric properties. In this review, we focus on understanding structure-property relationship of vapor deposited PTFs, with emphasis on the effect of strain energy and electrostatic energy in thin films, especially, energy relaxation induced misfit dislocation and ferroelectric (FS) and ferroelastic (FC) domain formation mechanisms. We then discuss the microstructure of these domains and their influential mechanisms on piezoelectric properties, as well as the domain engineering strategies (i.e., internal and external stimuli). This review will motivate further experimental, theoretical, and simulation studies on FS and FC domain engineering in PTFs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanocomposite Thin Film and Multilayers)

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12 pages, 7603 KB

Open AccessArticle

An Electret-Augmented Low-Voltage MEMS Electrostatic Out-of-Plane Actuator for Acoustic Transducer Applications

by Chikako Sano, Manabu Ataka, Gen Hashiguchi and Hiroshi Toshiyoshi

Micromachines 2020, 11(3), 267; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi11030267 - 4 Mar 2020

Cited by 33 | Viewed by 5695

Abstract

Despite the development of energy-efficient devices in various applications, microelectromechanical system (MEMS) electrostatic actuators yet require high voltages to generate large displacements. In this respect, electrets exhibiting quasi-permanent electrical charges allow large fixed voltages to be integrated directly within electrode structures to reduce [...] Read more.

- 40 V

biased electret layer was fabricated at the inner surface of a silicon on insulator (SOI) structure facing a 2 μm gap owing to the high compatibility of silicon micromachining and the potassium-ion-electret fabrication method. A

- 10 V

electret-augmented actuator with an out-of-plane motion membrane reached a sound pressure level (SPL) of 50 dB maximum with AC input voltage of

V_{i n} = 5 V_{pp}

alone, indicating a potential for acoustic transducer usage such as microspeakers. Such devices with electret biasing require only the input signal voltage, thus contributing to reducing the overall power consumption of the device system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section D：Materials and Processing)

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16 pages, 2628 KB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

On the Lateral Instability Analysis of MEMS Comb-Drive Electrostatic Transducers

by Binh Duc Truong, Cuong Phu Le and Einar Halvorsen

Sensors 2019, 19(17), 3770; https://doi.org/10.3390/s19173770 - 30 Aug 2019

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4129

Abstract

This paper investigates the lateral pull-in effect of an in-plane overlap-varying transducer. The instability is induced by the translational and rotational displacements. Based on the principle of virtual work, the equilibrium conditions of force and moment in lateral directions are derived. The analytical solutions of the critical voltage, at which the pull-in phenomenon occurs, are developed when considering only the translational stiffness or only the rotational stiffness of the mechanical spring. The critical voltage in a general case is numerically determined by using nonlinear optimization techniques, taking into account the combined effect of translation and rotation. The influences of possible translational offsets and angular deviations to the critical voltage are modeled and numerically analyzed. The investigation is then expanded for the first time to anti-phase operation mode and Bennet’s doubler configuration of the two transducers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Collection Modeling, Testing and Reliability Issues in MEMS Engineering)

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24 pages, 1187 KB

Open AccessArticle

Investigations of the Effects of Geometric Imperfections on the Nonlinear Static and Dynamic Behavior of Capacitive Micomachined Ultrasonic Transducers

by Aymen Jallouli, Najib Kacem and Joseph Lardies

Micromachines 2018, 9(11), 575; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9110575 - 5 Nov 2018

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4159

Abstract

In order to investigate the effects of geometric imperfections on the static and dynamic behavior of capacitive micomachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs), the governing equations of motion of a circular microplate with initial defection have been derived using the von Kármán plate theory while taking into account the mechanical and electrostatic nonlinearities. The partial differential equations are discretized using the differential quadrature method (DQM) and the resulting coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equations (ODEs) are solved using the harmonic balance method (HBM) coupled with the asymptotic numerical method (ANM). It is shown that the initial deflection has an impact on the static behavior of the CMUT by increasing its pull-in voltage up to 45%. Moreover, the dynamic behavior is affected by the initial deflection, enabling an increase in the resonance frequencies and the bistability domain and leading to a change of the frequency response from softening to hardening. This model allows MEMS designers to predict the nonlinear behavior of imperfect CMUT and tune its bifurcation topology in order to enhance its performances in terms of bandwidth and generated acoustic power while driving the microplate up to 80% beyond its critical amplitude. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section A：Physics)

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