A micromachined electrochemical angular accelerometer with highly integrated sensitive microelectrodes

• Published in: Microsystems & nanoengineering 2022-09, Vol.8 (1), p.100-100, Article 100
• Main Authors: Liang, Tian, Liu, Bowen, Chen, Mingwei, Lu, Yulan, Chen, Jian, Chen, Deyong, Wang, Junbo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 639/166/987; 639/925/927/511; Accelerometers; Earthquakes; Electrodes; Electrolytes; Engineering; Mathematical models; Microelectrodes; Microelectromechanical systems; Micromachining; Natural disasters; Noise levels; Seismology; Sensitivity; Simulation
• ISSN: 2055-7434; 2096-1030; 2055-7434
• DOI: 10.1038/s41378-022-00418-7

This paper presents a micromachined electrochemical angular accelerometer with highly integrated sensitive microelectrodes. Theoretical analyses and numerical simulations were conducted to model the angular accelerometer with key geometrical parameters (e.g., electrode spacing, via spacing and via size) optimized. Highly integrated sensitive microelectrodes were manufactured based on microfabrication and assembled to form MEMS-based electrochemical angular accelerometers. Device characterization was conducted, locating a sensitivity of 80 V/(rad/s 2 ), a bandwidth of 0.01–18 Hz and a noise level of 3.98 × 10 −8 (rad/s 2 )/√Hz. In comparison to a previously reported electrochemical angular microaccelerometer, a significant improvement in sensitivity (80 V/(rad/s 2 ) vs. 10 V/(rad/s 2 )) was achieved due to the new structure of sensitive microelectrodes. These results indicated the potential of the developed MEMS-based electrochemical angular accelerometer in seismology, including natural disaster monitoring and resource exploration.