Nonlinear vibrations of a MEMS translational device

When significantly displacing a proof mass, the nonlinear hardening characteristic of the supporting beams becomes visible. Thus, the resonance peak of the structure is no longer vertical but bends towards the higher frequencies. This property is useful to easily synchronise sense and drive resonances thus increasing the sensibility of the MEMS device. Through a test structure designed to investigate the high deformation range of the supporting beams, its nonlinear vibrations were investigated both experimentally and numerically.