Design of an ultra-sensitive MEMS force sensor utilizing mode localization in weakly coupled resonators

摘要

In this paper, the design of a novel ultrasensitive MEMS resonant force sensor utilizing a mode localization effect is presented. This new type of resonant sensor is constituted of several weakly coupled resonators and by measuring the amplitude ratio of designated resonators, a significant improvement in sensitivity is observed, compared to conventional frequency shift measurements. Furthermore, compared with conventional cantilever force sensors, the sensor is shown to be less constrained by the trade-off between sensitivity and stability along the axis of sensitivity, thus higher sensitivity and better stability can be achieved at the same time.