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A Low-Noise MEMS Accelerometer Based on a Symmetrical Sandwich Capacitor Structure
Zihan Wang1,2, Chaowei Si3, Jihua Zhang1,2
1School of Integrated Circuit Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China.
Micromachines
|February 27, 2026
Summary
This study introduces a novel Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) accelerometer with a symmetrical design. The high-performance device achieves excellent sensitivity and low noise for advanced inertial sensing.
Area of Science:
- Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS)
- Inertial Sensing Technology
- Capacitive Sensors
Background:
- MEMS accelerometers are crucial for inertial sensing.
- Achieving high performance requires overcoming challenges like parasitic capacitance and cross-axis coupling.
- Existing designs often face limitations in sensitivity, linearity, or noise.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a high-performance MEMS accelerometer with enhanced structural symmetry and reduced parasitic capacitance.
- To improve sensitivity, linearity, and noise performance for precision inertial sensing.
- To demonstrate a viable fabrication process for competitive MEMS accelerometers.
Main Methods:
- Employed a symmetrical differential 'sandwich' capacitive structure.
- Integrated orthogonal rectangular compensation with wet anisotropic etching for symmetry.
- Utilized a glass-silicon composite cover plate and anodic bonding to minimize parasitic capacitance.
- Conducted simulations to verify mode separation and low cross-axis coupling.
Main Results:
- Achieved high sensitivity of 0.2216 V/g and excellent linearity of 99.842% within a 0-8 g range.
- Demonstrated outstanding noise performance at 7.88 µg/√Hz and bias instability of 6.39 µg.
- Simulations confirmed sufficient separation between resonant frequencies and orthogonal/torsional modes.
Conclusions:
- The proposed MEMS accelerometer design offers competitive performance against commercial devices.
- The innovative fabrication process provides a viable technical route for high-precision inertial sensing.
- This work contributes to the advancement of MEMS-based inertial measurement units.
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