Air Damping Characteristics of Integrated Accelerometers with a Single-Side Air Gap

Abstract

In this paper, damping characteristics of piezoresistive integrated silicon accelerometers, in which a micromachined seismic mass is suspended by four narrow beams from the surrounding frame that incorporates peripheral circuitry and squeeze film damping effect is provided by a single-side air gap under the seismic mass, were analyzed and numerically calculated. The output waveforms for applied sinusoidal accelerations are different from those of accelerometers with symmetrical air-gap structure when subject to large accelerations. The calculated results are compared with measured characteristics of the fabricated devices.