A Low-Noise Micromachined Accelerometer with Reconfigurable Electrodes for Resonance Suppression
We present a high-performance capacitive accelerometer with a sub-µg noise limit and 1.2 kHz bandwidth for particle acceleration detection applications. The low noise of the accelerometer is achieved through a combination of device design optimization and operation under vacuum to reduce the effects...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Micromachines |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/14/6/1188 |
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| author | Zayed Ahmed Charles Duruaku Fatemeh Edalatfar Mehrdad Moallem Behraad Bahreyni |
| author_facet | Zayed Ahmed Charles Duruaku Fatemeh Edalatfar Mehrdad Moallem Behraad Bahreyni |
| author_sort | Zayed Ahmed |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We present a high-performance capacitive accelerometer with a sub-µg noise limit and 1.2 kHz bandwidth for particle acceleration detection applications. The low noise of the accelerometer is achieved through a combination of device design optimization and operation under vacuum to reduce the effects of air damping. Operation under vacuum, however, causes amplification of signals around the resonance region, potentially resulting in incapacitating it through saturation of interface electronics or nonlinearities and even damage. The device has thus been designed with two sets of electrodes for high and low electrostatic coupling efficiency. During normal operation, the open-loop device utilizes its high-sensitivity electrodes to provide the best resolution. When a strong signal near resonance is detected, the electrodes with low sensitivity are used for signal monitoring, while the high-sensitivity electrodes are used to apply feedback signals efficiently. A closed-loop electrostatic feedback control architecture is designed to counteract the large displacements of the proof mass near resonance frequency. Therefore, the ability to reconfigure electrodes lets the device be used in high-sensitivity or high-resiliency modes. Several experiments were conducted with DC and AC excitation at different frequencies to verify the effectiveness of the control strategy. The results showed a ten-fold reduction of displacement at resonance in the closed-loop arrangement compared to the open-loop system with a quality factor of 120. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T02:08:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0fb9b2989485427ca3669a262b35aed6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-666X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T02:08:55Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Micromachines |
| spelling | doaj.art-0fb9b2989485427ca3669a262b35aed62023-11-18T11:39:38ZengMDPI AGMicromachines2072-666X2023-06-01146118810.3390/mi14061188A Low-Noise Micromachined Accelerometer with Reconfigurable Electrodes for Resonance SuppressionZayed Ahmed0Charles Duruaku1Fatemeh Edalatfar2Mehrdad Moallem3Behraad Bahreyni4School of Mechatronic Systems Engineering, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, CanadaSchool of Mechatronic Systems Engineering, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, CanadaSchool of Mechatronic Systems Engineering, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, CanadaSchool of Mechatronic Systems Engineering, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, CanadaSchool of Mechatronic Systems Engineering, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, CanadaWe present a high-performance capacitive accelerometer with a sub-µg noise limit and 1.2 kHz bandwidth for particle acceleration detection applications. The low noise of the accelerometer is achieved through a combination of device design optimization and operation under vacuum to reduce the effects of air damping. Operation under vacuum, however, causes amplification of signals around the resonance region, potentially resulting in incapacitating it through saturation of interface electronics or nonlinearities and even damage. The device has thus been designed with two sets of electrodes for high and low electrostatic coupling efficiency. During normal operation, the open-loop device utilizes its high-sensitivity electrodes to provide the best resolution. When a strong signal near resonance is detected, the electrodes with low sensitivity are used for signal monitoring, while the high-sensitivity electrodes are used to apply feedback signals efficiently. A closed-loop electrostatic feedback control architecture is designed to counteract the large displacements of the proof mass near resonance frequency. Therefore, the ability to reconfigure electrodes lets the device be used in high-sensitivity or high-resiliency modes. Several experiments were conducted with DC and AC excitation at different frequencies to verify the effectiveness of the control strategy. The results showed a ten-fold reduction of displacement at resonance in the closed-loop arrangement compared to the open-loop system with a quality factor of 120.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/14/6/1188high-performance accelerometersresonance suppressionvacuum packaged accelerometernegative derivative controller |
| spellingShingle | Zayed Ahmed Charles Duruaku Fatemeh Edalatfar Mehrdad Moallem Behraad Bahreyni A Low-Noise Micromachined Accelerometer with Reconfigurable Electrodes for Resonance Suppression Micromachines high-performance accelerometers resonance suppression vacuum packaged accelerometer negative derivative controller |
| title | A Low-Noise Micromachined Accelerometer with Reconfigurable Electrodes for Resonance Suppression |
| title_full | A Low-Noise Micromachined Accelerometer with Reconfigurable Electrodes for Resonance Suppression |
| title_fullStr | A Low-Noise Micromachined Accelerometer with Reconfigurable Electrodes for Resonance Suppression |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Low-Noise Micromachined Accelerometer with Reconfigurable Electrodes for Resonance Suppression |
| title_short | A Low-Noise Micromachined Accelerometer with Reconfigurable Electrodes for Resonance Suppression |
| title_sort | low noise micromachined accelerometer with reconfigurable electrodes for resonance suppression |
| topic | high-performance accelerometers resonance suppression vacuum packaged accelerometer negative derivative controller |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/14/6/1188 |
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