Micromachined accelerometer with area-changed capacitance

Abstract A new accelerometer based on the principle of area-changed capacitance is presented. The movable mass is designed as many bars connected together and suspended by elastic beams. Two comb-shaped fixed electrodes with their fingers side by side are alternately placed under the mass. The mass moves in the direction parallel with the substrate plane under the effect of acceleration. The bars and fixed electrodes fingers compose a differential capacitor unit. A quasi-LIGA technology is used to fabricate the sensor chip. And a linear differential capacitance related with the acceleration is obtained.