A Low-G Silicon Inertial Micro-Switch with Enhanced Contact Effect Using Squeeze-Film Damping
Contact time is one of the most important properties for inertial micro-switches. However, it is usually less than 20 μs for the switch with rigid electrode, which is difficult for the external circuit to recognize. This issue is traditionally addressed by designing the switch with a keep-close func...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2017-02-01
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| Series: | Sensors |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/17/2/387 |
| _version_ | 1811299956098596864 |
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| author | Yingchun Peng Zhiyu Wen Dongling Li Zhengguo Shang |
| author_facet | Yingchun Peng Zhiyu Wen Dongling Li Zhengguo Shang |
| author_sort | Yingchun Peng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Contact time is one of the most important properties for inertial micro-switches. However, it is usually less than 20 μs for the switch with rigid electrode, which is difficult for the external circuit to recognize. This issue is traditionally addressed by designing the switch with a keep-close function or flexible electrode. However, the switch with keep-close function requires an additional operation to re-open itself, causing inconvenience for some applications wherein repeated monitoring is needed. The switch with a flexible electrode is usually fabricated by electroplating technology, and it is difficult to realize low-g switches (<50 g) due to inherent fabrication errors. This paper reports a contact enhancement using squeeze-film damping effect for low-g switches. A vertically driven switch with large proof mass and flexible springs was designed based on silicon micromachining, in order to achieve a damping ratio of 2 and a threshold value of 10 g. The proposed contact enhancement was investigated by theoretical and experimental studies. The results show that the damping effect can not only prolong the contact time for the dynamic acceleration load, but also reduce the contact bounce for the quasi-static acceleration load. The contact time under dynamic and quasi-static loads was 40 μs and 570 μs, respectively. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T06:44:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-dd8cca00142b49ba814e11e0b905b47a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T06:44:17Z |
| publishDate | 2017-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj.art-dd8cca00142b49ba814e11e0b905b47a2022-12-22T02:57:39ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202017-02-0117238710.3390/s17020387s17020387A Low-G Silicon Inertial Micro-Switch with Enhanced Contact Effect Using Squeeze-Film DampingYingchun Peng0Zhiyu Wen1Dongling Li2Zhengguo Shang3Microsystem Research Center, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, ChinaMicrosystem Research Center, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, ChinaMicrosystem Research Center, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, ChinaMicrosystem Research Center, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, ChinaContact time is one of the most important properties for inertial micro-switches. However, it is usually less than 20 μs for the switch with rigid electrode, which is difficult for the external circuit to recognize. This issue is traditionally addressed by designing the switch with a keep-close function or flexible electrode. However, the switch with keep-close function requires an additional operation to re-open itself, causing inconvenience for some applications wherein repeated monitoring is needed. The switch with a flexible electrode is usually fabricated by electroplating technology, and it is difficult to realize low-g switches (<50 g) due to inherent fabrication errors. This paper reports a contact enhancement using squeeze-film damping effect for low-g switches. A vertically driven switch with large proof mass and flexible springs was designed based on silicon micromachining, in order to achieve a damping ratio of 2 and a threshold value of 10 g. The proposed contact enhancement was investigated by theoretical and experimental studies. The results show that the damping effect can not only prolong the contact time for the dynamic acceleration load, but also reduce the contact bounce for the quasi-static acceleration load. The contact time under dynamic and quasi-static loads was 40 μs and 570 μs, respectively.http://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/17/2/387inertial switchacceleration switchMEMScontact timesqueeze-film damping |
| spellingShingle | Yingchun Peng Zhiyu Wen Dongling Li Zhengguo Shang A Low-G Silicon Inertial Micro-Switch with Enhanced Contact Effect Using Squeeze-Film Damping Sensors inertial switch acceleration switch MEMS contact time squeeze-film damping |
| title | A Low-G Silicon Inertial Micro-Switch with Enhanced Contact Effect Using Squeeze-Film Damping |
| title_full | A Low-G Silicon Inertial Micro-Switch with Enhanced Contact Effect Using Squeeze-Film Damping |
| title_fullStr | A Low-G Silicon Inertial Micro-Switch with Enhanced Contact Effect Using Squeeze-Film Damping |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Low-G Silicon Inertial Micro-Switch with Enhanced Contact Effect Using Squeeze-Film Damping |
| title_short | A Low-G Silicon Inertial Micro-Switch with Enhanced Contact Effect Using Squeeze-Film Damping |
| title_sort | low g silicon inertial micro switch with enhanced contact effect using squeeze film damping |
| topic | inertial switch acceleration switch MEMS contact time squeeze-film damping |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/17/2/387 |
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