Dynamic Behavior of MEMS Resonators

Abstract

MEMS resonator represents currently one of the important research areas of Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS). The usual applications of MEMS resonators are the radio-frequency electromechanical devices, MEMS gyroscopes and resonant sensors. The main part of a MEMS resonator is the mechanical vibrating structure that can be fabricated as microcantilevers, microbridges or in a more complex configuration as micromembranes. The scope of this paper is to investigate the dynamic behavior of an electrostatically actuated MEMS cantilever under different oscillating modes in order to determine the resonant frequency, amplitude and velocity of oscillations. Moreover, based on the resonant frequency experimental curves, the quality factor for different oscillating modes is determined. The effect of operating conditions on the frequency response of investigated microcantilever is monitored. As a consequence, the experimental tests are performed both in ambient conditions and in vacuum. The dynamic response of microcantilever in vacuum is influenced by the intrinsic dissipation energy and the sample behavior in air depends on the intrinsic losses as well as the extrinsic dissipation energy.