This book provides a comprehensive description of microsensors for mechanical quantities (flow, pressure, force, inertia) fabricated by silicon micromachining. Since the design of such sensors requires interdisciplinary teamwork, the presentation is made accessible to engineers trained in electrical and mechanical engineering, physics and chemistry. The reader is guided through the micromachining fabrication process. A chapter on microsensor packaging completes the discussion of technological problems. The description of the basic physics required for sensor design includes the mechanics of deformation and the piezoresistive transduction to electrical signals. There is also a comprehensive discussion of resonant sensors, the hydrodynamics and heat transfer relevant for flow sensors, and, finally, electronic interfacing and readout circuitry. Numerous up-to-date case studies are presented, together with the working, fabrication and design of the sensors.

This book presents a microtechnology important for manufacturing, design and application of microdevices. It appeals to engineers and advanced students.

Gives an overview of the physics necessary to understand, design and fabricate mechanical microsensors Provides a guide to the relevant literature Discusses the advantages and limitations of microtechnology Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Inhalt

1. Introduction.- 2. MEMS.- 2.1 Miniaturisation and Systems.- 2.2 Examples for MEMS.- 2.3 Small and Large: Scaling.- 2.4 Available Fabrication Technology.- 3. Introduction into Silicon Micromachining.- 3.1 Photolithography.- 3.2 Thin Film Deposition and Doping.- 3.3 Wet Chemical Etching.- 3.4 Waferbonding.- 3.5 Plasma Etching.- 3.6 Surface Micromachining.- 4. Mechanics of Membranes and Beams.- 4.1 Dynamics of the Mass Spring System.- 4.2 Strings.- 4.3 Beams.- 4.4 Diaphragms and Membranes.- 5. Principles of Measuring Mechanical Quantities: Transduction of Deformation.- 5.1 Metal Strain Gauges.- 5.2 Semiconductor Strain Gauges.- 5.3 Capacitive Transducers.- 6. Force and Pressure Sensors.- 6.1 Force Sensors.- 6.1.1 Load Cells.- 6.2 Pressure Sensors.- 7. Acceleration and Angular Rate Sensors.- 7.1 Acceleration Sensors.- 7.2 Angular Rate Sensors.- 8. Flow sensors.- 8.1 The Laminar Boundary Layer.- 8.2 Heat Transport in the Limit of Very Small Reynolds Numbers.- 8.3 Thermal Flow Sensors.- 8.4 Skin Friction Sensors.- 8.5 Dry Fluid Flow Sensors.- 8.6 Wet Fluid Flow Sensors.- 9. Resonant Sensors.- 9.1 Basic Principles and Physics.- 9.2 Excitation and Detection Mechanisms.- 9.3 Examples and Applications.- 10. Electronic Interfacing.- 10.1 Piezoresistive Sensors.- 10.2 Capacitive Sensors.- 10.3 Resonant Sensors.- 11. Packaging.- 11.1 Packaging Techniques.- 11.2 Stress Reduction.- 11.3 Pressure Sensors.- 11.4 Inertial Sensors.- 11.5 Thermal Flow Sensors.- References.