Triple sensing scheme based on nonlinear coupled micromachined resonators

Abstract

In the past few decades, advances in micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) have produced robust, accurate, and high-performance devices. Extensive research has been conducted to improve the selectivity and sensitivity of MEMS sensors by adjusting the device dimensions and adopting nonlinear features. However, sensing multiple parameters is still a challenging topic. Except for the limited research focus on multi-gas and multimode sensing, detecting multiple parameters typically relies on combining several separate MEMS sensors. In this work, a new triple sensing scheme via nonlinear weakly coupled resonators is introduced, which could simultaneously detect three different physical stimuli (including longitudinal acceleration) by monitoring the dynamic response around the first three lowest vibration modes. The Euler–Bernoulli beam model with three-mode Galerkin discretization is used to derive a reduced-order model considering the geometric and electrostatic nonlinearities to characterize the resonator's nonlinear dynamics under the influence of different stimuli. The simulation results show the potential of the nonlinear coupled resonator to simultaneously perform triple detection.