Mechanical Microsensors

This books provides a comprehensive description of the principles of sensors for mechanical quantities fabricated by silicone micromachining. Since sensor design and sensor fabrication requires work in an interdisciplinary field, carried out by engineers trained in various disciplines, the presentation is made accessible to engineers trained in electrical and mechanical engineering, physics and chemistry. Accordingly, the basic science needed for the design of mechanical microsensors is discussed starting from a fairly elementary level, including scaling of physical laws, mechanics of deformation of beams and diaphragms, transducer principles, the basics of fluid flow and heat transfer and electronic circuits. The reader is introduced into the basics of silicon micromachining and sensor packaging. Relevant issues regarding design, fabrication and performance are illustrated in numerous examples for pressure sensors, force sensors, accelerometers, gyroscopes and flow sensors.