Temperature Effects on the Performance and Reliability of MEMS Gyroscope Sensors

Abstract

Elevated temperatures can significantly affect the performance and reliability of MEMS gyroscope sensors. A MEMS vibrating resonant gyroscope measures angular velocity via a displacement measurement which can be on the order on nanometers. High sensitivity to small changes in displacement causes the MEMS Gyroscope sensor to be strongly affected by changes in temperature which can affect the displacement of the sensor due to thermal expansion and thermomechanical stresses. Analyzing the effect of temperature on MEMS gyroscope sensor measurements is essential in mission critical high temperature applications, such as inertial tracking of the movement of a fire fighter in a smoke filled indoor environment where GPS tracking is not possible. In this paper, we will discuss the development of a test protocol which was used to assess temperature effects. Both stationary and rotary tests were performed at room and at elevated temperatures on 10 individual single axis MEMS gyroscope sensors.

Design and analysis of mode-matched decoupled mass MEMS gyroscope with improved thermal stability

“…There are four outer parallel beams attached to decoupled drive mass (m d ) represented with drive stiffness of (k d ) and four inner parallel beams attached between sense mass (m s ) and proof mass (m p ) represented with drive stiffness of (k cd ). Drive stiffness has been calculated using equations ( 8) and (9). The overall drive stiffness (k drive ) in the drive direction is the sum of (k d ) and (k cd ).…”

“…Major fabrication defects affect the electrostatic force for actuation, resonant frequencies, stiffness, and output performance parameters, including scale factor, dynamic range, bandwidth, sense capacitance, and resolution of the MEMS vibratory gyroscope [8]. Temperature effects can cause thermal stress, drift, noise, and thermoelastic dissipation in the gyroscope structure and its circuitry, that affects the quality factor, sensitivity, and bias stability of the sensor [7,9]. The MEMS gyroscope sensor can detect small changes in displacement, but it is also vulnerable to temperature changes that can alter the mass oscillation amplitudes of the sensor due to thermal expansion and thermomechanical stresses.…”

“…A multi-frame vibrating MEMS gyroscope design approach was presented where the structure is fully decoupled using the drive frame, Coriolis frame, and sense frame configurations [11]. Another approach is using temperature compensation methods that can correct the output error due to temperature variation [9]. A dual mass MEMS gyroscope structure with electrostatic compensation was presented to reduce the quadrature error and bandwidth was expended from 13 to 104 Hz [14].…”

A Review of MEMS Vibrating Gyroscopes and Their Reliability Issues in Harsh Environments

“…An investigation was carried out into the use of a gyroscope as a tracking system for fire-fighting inside buildings where GPS does not work [ 81 ]. As the extreme temperature degrades the performance of the gyroscope, the life of the firefighter could be in danger.…”