Static and Dynamic Performance Evaluation of a Piezoresistive Silicon MEMS Strain Sensor

• Author / Creator

  Delos Reyes, Ronald

• Static and dynamic characterization was performed on a prototype piezoresistive silicon MEMS strain sensor. Static tests showed the MEMS sensor’s gauge factor ranged from 10-13, which is higher than a foil gauge’s gauge factor. Power measurements at -20 C, 24 C, and 80 C showed that the average sensor power decreases as temperature increases. A dramatic decrease in the sensor voltage settling time was observed at a temperature of -20 C. Sensor dynamic outputs measured at 10 Hz, 63 Hz and 175 Hz revealed noise in the signal and were processed using a digital low pass filter. Rainflow counting on the resulting strain histories revealed that the filtered MEMS sensor signal gives a conservative fatigue life estimate while the unfiltered MEMS signal overestimates the number of loading cycles. Extended vibration testing results showed that the sensor lifetime is 2.70 million cycles at an equivalent strain range of 1261 microstrains.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • MEMS strain sensor
  • Static testing
  • Performance evaluation
  • Dynamic testing

• Graduation date

  Spring 2014

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3NG4H117

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.