A Damping Constant Model for Proof-Mass Structure Design of MEMS Inertial Sensor by Multi-Layer Metal Technology

This paper reports a novel damping constant model including proof-mass structure parameters to design a MEMS inertial sensor by multi-layer metal technology. From the experimental evaluation results, we investigate the relationship between the damping constant and the structure parameters such as the etching hole area, the proof mass area, and the gap between the proof mass and the sensing electrode. As a result, we propose the damping constant model by introducing a new adjustment function based on the structure parameters. With the proposed damping constant model, it is confirmed that we could design large-area proof-mass structures and predict the mechanical noise of the proof mass.