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Title: Ultraminiature resonator accelerometer

Abstract

A new family of microminiature sensors and clocks is being developed with widespread application potential for missile and weapons applications, as biomedical sensors, as vehicle status monitors, and as high-volume animal identification and health sensors. To satisfy fundamental technology development needs, a micromachined clock and an accelerometer have initially been undertaken as development projects. A thickness-mode quartz resonator housed in a micromachined silicon package is used as the frequency-modulated basic component of the sensor family. Resonator design philosophy follows trapped energy principles and temperature compensation methodology through crystal orientation control, with operation in the 20--100 MHz range, corresponding to quartz wafer thicknesses in the 75--15 micron range. High-volume batch-processing manufacturing is utilized, with package and resonator assembly at the wafer level. Chemical etching of quartz, as well as micromachining of silicon, achieves the surface and volume mechanical features necessary to fashion the resonating element and the mating package. Integration of the associated oscillator and signal analysis circuitry into the silicon package is inherent to the realization of a size reduction requirement. A low temperature In and In/Sn bonding technology allows assembly of the dissimilar quartz and silicon materials, an otherwise challenging task. Unique design features include robust vibration and shockmore » performance, capacitance sensing with micromachined diaphragms, circuit integration, capacitance-to-frequency transduction, and extremely small dimensioning. Accelerometer sensitivities were measured in the 1--3 ppm/g range for the milligram proof-mass structures employed in the prototypes evaluated to date.« less

Authors:
; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
231652
Report Number(s):
SAND-96-0971
ON: DE96010913; TRN: AHC29611%%134
DOE Contract Number:  
AC04-94AL85000
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: Apr 1996
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
44 INSTRUMENTATION, INCLUDING NUCLEAR AND PARTICLE DETECTORS; ACCELEROMETERS; DESIGN; MINIATURIZATION; USES; INDIUM; TIN; SENSITIVITY; FABRICATION; MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS; PERFORMANCE

Citation Formats

Koehler, D R, Kravitz, S H, and Vianco, P T. Ultraminiature resonator accelerometer. United States: N. p., 1996. Web. doi:10.2172/231652.
Koehler, D R, Kravitz, S H, & Vianco, P T. Ultraminiature resonator accelerometer. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/231652
Koehler, D R, Kravitz, S H, and Vianco, P T. 1996. "Ultraminiature resonator accelerometer". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/231652. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/231652.
@article{osti_231652,
title = {Ultraminiature resonator accelerometer},
author = {Koehler, D R and Kravitz, S H and Vianco, P T},
abstractNote = {A new family of microminiature sensors and clocks is being developed with widespread application potential for missile and weapons applications, as biomedical sensors, as vehicle status monitors, and as high-volume animal identification and health sensors. To satisfy fundamental technology development needs, a micromachined clock and an accelerometer have initially been undertaken as development projects. A thickness-mode quartz resonator housed in a micromachined silicon package is used as the frequency-modulated basic component of the sensor family. Resonator design philosophy follows trapped energy principles and temperature compensation methodology through crystal orientation control, with operation in the 20--100 MHz range, corresponding to quartz wafer thicknesses in the 75--15 micron range. High-volume batch-processing manufacturing is utilized, with package and resonator assembly at the wafer level. Chemical etching of quartz, as well as micromachining of silicon, achieves the surface and volume mechanical features necessary to fashion the resonating element and the mating package. Integration of the associated oscillator and signal analysis circuitry into the silicon package is inherent to the realization of a size reduction requirement. A low temperature In and In/Sn bonding technology allows assembly of the dissimilar quartz and silicon materials, an otherwise challenging task. Unique design features include robust vibration and shock performance, capacitance sensing with micromachined diaphragms, circuit integration, capacitance-to-frequency transduction, and extremely small dimensioning. Accelerometer sensitivities were measured in the 1--3 ppm/g range for the milligram proof-mass structures employed in the prototypes evaluated to date.},
doi = {10.2172/231652},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/231652}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1996},
month = {Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1996}
}