Gas Damping in Capacitive MEMS Transducers in the Free Molecular Flow Regime

B.A. Boom; A. Bertolini; E. Hennes; J.F.J. van den Brand

doi:10.3390/s21072566

Gas Damping in Capacitive MEMS Transducers in the Free Molecular Flow Regime

B.A. Boom^*, A. Bertolini, E. Hennes, J.F.J. van den Brand

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

We present a novel analysis of gas damping in capacitive MEMS transducers that is based on a simple analytical model, assisted by Monte-Carlo simulations performed in Molflow+ to obtain an estimate for the geometry dependent gas diffusion time. This combination provides results with minimal computational expense and through freely available software, as well as insight into how the gas damping depends on the transducer geometry in the molecular flow regime. The results can be used to predict damping for arbitrary gas mixtures. The analysis was verified by experimental results for both air and helium atmospheres and matches these data to within 15% over a wide range of pressures.

Original language	English
Article number	2566
Number of pages	13
Journal	Sensors
Volume	21
Issue number	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/s21072566
Publication status	Published - 1 Apr 2021

Keywords

capacitance transducers
free molecular flow
gas damping
Monte Carlo methods
Q measurement

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10.3390/s21072566Licence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Gas Damping in Capacitive MEMS Transducers in the Free Molecular Flow Regime",

abstract = "We present a novel analysis of gas damping in capacitive MEMS transducers that is based on a simple analytical model, assisted by Monte-Carlo simulations performed in Molflow+ to obtain an estimate for the geometry dependent gas diffusion time. This combination provides results with minimal computational expense and through freely available software, as well as insight into how the gas damping depends on the transducer geometry in the molecular flow regime. The results can be used to predict damping for arbitrary gas mixtures. The analysis was verified by experimental results for both air and helium atmospheres and matches these data to within 15% over a wide range of pressures.",

keywords = "capacitance transducers, free molecular flow, gas damping, Monte Carlo methods, Q measurement",

author = "B.A. Boom and A. Bertolini and E. Hennes and {van den Brand}, J.F.J.",

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doi = "10.3390/s21072566",

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T1 - Gas Damping in Capacitive MEMS Transducers in the Free Molecular Flow Regime

AU - Boom, B.A.

AU - Bertolini, A.

AU - Hennes, E.

AU - van den Brand, J.F.J.

PY - 2021/4/1

Y1 - 2021/4/1

N2 - We present a novel analysis of gas damping in capacitive MEMS transducers that is based on a simple analytical model, assisted by Monte-Carlo simulations performed in Molflow+ to obtain an estimate for the geometry dependent gas diffusion time. This combination provides results with minimal computational expense and through freely available software, as well as insight into how the gas damping depends on the transducer geometry in the molecular flow regime. The results can be used to predict damping for arbitrary gas mixtures. The analysis was verified by experimental results for both air and helium atmospheres and matches these data to within 15% over a wide range of pressures.

AB - We present a novel analysis of gas damping in capacitive MEMS transducers that is based on a simple analytical model, assisted by Monte-Carlo simulations performed in Molflow+ to obtain an estimate for the geometry dependent gas diffusion time. This combination provides results with minimal computational expense and through freely available software, as well as insight into how the gas damping depends on the transducer geometry in the molecular flow regime. The results can be used to predict damping for arbitrary gas mixtures. The analysis was verified by experimental results for both air and helium atmospheres and matches these data to within 15% over a wide range of pressures.

KW - capacitance transducers

KW - free molecular flow

KW - gas damping

KW - Monte Carlo methods

KW - Q measurement

U2 - 10.3390/s21072566

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VL - 21

JO - Sensors

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