Design and modeling of a silicon resonant pressure sensor

Modelling of a silicon resonator as a pressure sensor is presented. The resonator is electrothermally excited and the resonance frequency shift is detected by a piezoresistive thin film detector. Computer simulation using commercial MEMS software tool IntelliSuiteTM is compared with analytical model. Various design aspects, such as the pressure sensitivity, electrothermal heating of vibrating beam, influence of detection current and damping effect are investigated. Silicon resonator sensor have been fabricated and measured. The characteristics predicted by computer simulation has been confirmed by experimental results.