Scalable Pressure Sensor Based on Electrothermally Operated Resonator

Amal Hajjaj, Md Abdullah Al Hafiz, Nouha Alcheikh, Mohammad I. Younis

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

We experimentally demonstrate a new pressure sensor that offers the flexibility of being scalable to small sizes up to the nano regime. Unlike conventional pressure sensors that rely on large diaphragms and big-surface structures, the principle of operation here relies on convective cooling of the air surrounding an electrothermally heated resonant structure, which can be a beam or a bridge. This concept is demonstrated using an electrothermally tuned and electrostatically driven MEMS resonator, which is designed to be deliberately curved. We show that the variation of pressure can be tracked accurately by monitoring the change in the resonance frequency of the resonator at a constant electrothermal voltage. We show that the range of the sensed pressure and the sensitivity of detection are controllable by the amount of the applied electrothermal voltage. Theoretically, we verify the device concept using a multi-physics nonlinear finite element model. The proposed pressure sensor is simple in principle and design and offers the possibility of further miniaturization to the nanoscale.
Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationVolume 4: 22nd Design for Manufacturing and the Life Cycle Conference; 11th International Conference on Micro- and Nanosystems
PublisherASME International
ISBN (Print)9780791858165
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 3 2017

Bibliographical note

KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2020-10-01

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