Theoretical Modeling, Numerical Simulations and Experimental Study of Micro Thermal Convective Accelerometers

We present a one-dimensional (1D) theoretical model for the design analysis of a micro thermal convective accelerometer (MTCA). Systematical design analysis was conducted on the sensor performance covering the sensor output, sensitivity, and power consumption. The sensor output was further normalized as a function of normalized input acceleration in terms of Rayleigh number Ra (the product of Grashof number Gr and Prandtl number Pr) for different fluids. A critical Rayleigh number (Rac = 3,000) is founded, for the first time, to determine the boundary between the linear and nonlinear response regime of MTCA. Based on the proposed 1D model, key parameters, including the location of the detectors, sensor length, thin film thickness, cavity height, heater temperature, and fluid types, were optimized to improve sensor performance. Accordingly, a CMOS compatible MTCA was designed and fabricated based on the theoretical analysis, which showed a high sensitivity of 1,289 mV/g. Therefore, this efficient 1D model, one million times faster than CFD simulation, can be a promising tool for the system-level CMOS MEMS design.