A novel quasi-digital detection method of micro differential

capacitance in micro-accelerometers
SONG Xing*, FANG Jiancheng, YI Ranran, SHENG Wei
Novel Inertial Instrument & Navigation System Technology Lab, Beijing University of Aeronautics
and Astronautics， Beijing 100083, China

ABSTRACT

This paper proposed a novel method of sensing the weak differential capacitance change of Micro-Electro-Mechanical
Systems (MEMS) accelerometer with sandwich structure. The detection circuit mainly consisted of frequency selective
networks, Phase Locked Loop (PLL), logical gate and low-pass filter. The two elemental capacitances of differential
capacitance respectively harmonic oscillated in two parameter symmetry resonance units. Beating wave represented
when the two output signals with different frequency had passed the logical gate and low-pass filter in turn. The
frequency of beating wave was proportional to the sensing differential capacitance. One of the most important aspects of
using circuit resonance elements with MEMS technology was the elimination of analog voltage amplitude measurement
used in conventional MEMS accelerometers. On the other hand, this method overcame the disadvantages of conventional
mechanical resonance accelerometers, with frequency output and high Signal Noise Ratio (SNR), such as poor dynamic
response, temperature drift, complex structure and large power dissipation. According to the numerical simulation results,
−16
the circuit resonance detector with PLL can reach high capacitance resolution: 10 F .

Keywords: MEMS, MEMS accelerometer, circuit resonance, differential capacitance, Phase Locked Loop (PLL).
 

1. INTRODUCTION
Micromachined accelerometers have extensive potential applications in many fields, such as aerospace, automotive,
consumer electronics, robotics and biomedical engineering [1]. Hence, there has been intensive study of a variety of
micromachined accelerometers with different sensitive structures and different detection methods during the last few
years [2, 3]. Capacitance Micro Electrical Mechanical System (MEMS) sensors have the advantages of simple structure,
fine dynamic response, high resolution and low temperature drift, which are activated by electrostatic force and sensed
by capacitance variation[4, 5]. This kind of accelerometer is popular in inertial measurement field and effective for high
performance sensors [6].
Capacitance MEMS accelerators can measure the acceleration by sensing the inner capacitance change due to the
placement of sensing mass. The interface circuit performance is currently the bottleneck of MEMS accelerometers.
There are two main difficulties: Firstly, the sensing capacitance is so small that parasitic capacitance and other noises are
hundreds times larger than the useful capacitance [7].According to the computation, the variable parameter of measured
capacitance is usually just 10−15 F , while the variance of parasitic capacitance can reach 10−12 F . On the other hand, it is
difficult to achieve high stabilization and precise measurement as the analog output is accessible to environment
temperature and electromagnetic interference (EMI) [8].
Currently, two kinds of analog and one kind of quasi-digital measuring method was mainly used for weak capacitance
detection: switch demodulation, sinusoidal demodulation and mechanical resonance, while both experimental results and
theoretical analysis shown that these three kinds of measurement method were not well enough for high performance
micro silicon accelerometers. Obvious disadvantages of analog measuring method were low SNR, accessible to disturb
and complex interface circuit, while the biggest problems of mechanical resonant method were poor dynamic response,
high temperature drift, complex structure and large power dissipation.

*songxing2003@gmail.com; phone (010)82317078.

This paper focused on differential capacitance micromachined accelerometers with “sandwich” structure produced by the
bulk silicon micromachining procedures. The detection capacitance consisted of two differential capacitances. Self-
oscillation was activated respectively by analog PLL in both two differential capacitances, and the oscillation frequency
difference was related to the differential capacitance. As the phase detection scheme handled the phase variation of a
large signal instead of the amplitude of a weak signal, the phase detection scheme for differential capacitance could
improve the immunity to interference significantly. In addition, the elements were insensitive to temperature and the
circuit arrangement was highly symmetrical. Therefore, the temperature coefficient of the accelerometer in phase
detection scheme was theoretically zero. Finally, the numerical simulation results were presented. It is shown that the
detection capacitance method can be used in the field of high precision design of micro-accelerometers.

2. SENSING MECHANISM
2.1 Sensing mechanics of sandwich structure accelerometer
Sensing element of sandwich structure micro-accelerometer consisted of upper electrode (static electrode), sensing mass
(dynamic electrode) and lower electrode (static electrode), as shown in Fig 1.
upper electrode
(static electrode)

Air
Sensing mass
(dynamic electrode)

lower electrode
Cantilever ( static electrode )
Fig 1 Sensing element of sandwich structure micro-accelerometer
Sensing structure was designed as cantilever, produced by bulk silicon technics. Upper and lower electrodes were
usually silicon insulator plated by thin gold film, respectively exported by special electric wires. Middle electrode was
sensing mass made of monocrystalline silicon. The sensing structure was packaged by static-electric bonding. Due to the
spring characteristic of cantilever, movable sensing mass with two static electrodes formed differential capacitance
structure, as shown in Fig 2. The distances between sensing mass and two static electrodes would change due to the
effect of acceleration, and then caused the equivalent capacitance changing therewith. The magnitude and direction of
acceleration could be acquired by measuring the differential capacitances [9].

 
Fig 2 Equivalent circuit elements of sandwich structure silicon micro-accelerometer
2.2 Fundamentals of circuit resonance detection
In order to get rid of the distributed capacitance induced by voltage difference between dynamic electrode and the silicon
substrate, which was the biggest error source in differential capacitance measurement, the dynamic electrode was
connected to the silicon substrate. Self-oscillation was activated respectively by analog Phase Locked Loop (PLL) in
both two differential capacitances, and the oscillation frequency was related to the target capacitance. Then, the
exclusive-OR gate circuit compared duplex square waves, and the duty cycle of the output voltage due to beat effect was
direct proportion to the phase contrast of the duplex square waves, while the beat frequency was direct proportion to the
differential capacitance.
General schematic diagram was shown in Fig 3, which consisted of circuit resonance with Phase Locked Loop (PLL),
waveform conditioning, waveform comparing and peak holding.
  
Fig 3 General schematic diagram of circuit resonance detection
Supposed that, one self-oscillation period was T1 , and the other self-oscillation period was T2 , then

⎧⎪T1 = 2π LC1
⎨ (1)
⎪⎩T2 = 2π LC 2

Then the beat frequency of the two self-oscillation period T could be written as

T1T2 C1C 2
T = = 2π L • (2)
T1 − T2 C1 − C2

As capacitance C1 and C2 changed differentially, then

⎧C1 = C0 + ΔC
⎨ (3)
⎩C2 = C0 − ΔC
C1 + C 2
Where, ΔC was capacitance increment, C0 = .
2

Obviously, according to equation (2) and (3), the beat frequency f could be written as

1 1 C 0 + ΔC − C 0 − ΔC
f = = • (4)
T 2π L 2
C 0 − ( ΔC )
2

According to Taylor expansion,

m ( m − 1) m(m-1) ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ (m-n+1)
(1 + x )m = 1 + mx +
2
x + ⋅ ⋅ ⋅+
n
x + ⋅ ⋅ ⋅, x < 1 (5)
2! n!
Usually, ΔC  C 0 , ignoring high order small increment, equation (4) could be expressed as

ΔC
f = (6)
3
2π LC 0

UO

Fig 4 Detection diagram of circuit resonance detection. Dashed line connecting capacitances C x1 and Cx2 means that the
two capacitances can have the common electrode.
Obviously, the beat frequency was direct proportion to the differential capacitance ΔC .
The differential capacitance due to acceleration caused different resonance frequency between the two independent
resonance systems. The waveform was fit for exclusive-OR gate benefited from waveform conditioning. The frequency
of final output signal was proportional to acceleration through peak holding or low-pass filter. Signal flow was shown in
Fig 4.
2.3 Circuit resonance design and analysis
In order to benefit from the differential detection method, which was advantaged in linearity and sensitivity, series
resonance circuit was chosen as the frequency selective network, as shown in Fig 5.

 
Fig 5 Frequency selective network of resonance unit
According to Kirchhoff’s law, the relationship between U r (t ) and U c(t ) can be expressed as

⎧U di ( t ) 1
⎪ r (t )
= Ri ( t ) + L1
dt
+
C
∫ i (t ) dt
⎨ (7)
⎪U 1
⎩ c(t )
=
C
∫ i ( t ) dt

Then
2
d U c (t ) dU c ( t )
U r ( t ) = LC
2
+ RC + U c(t ) (8)
dt dt

Using Laplace transform, the following equation can be gotten.

⎛ ⎞
⎜ 2
R
⎟
=⎜ ⎟∗U
− t
1 1 R
U c(t ) sin( − ∗ t )e 2L
(9)
⎜ 2 2 LC 4L
2
⎟ r (t )

⎜ ⎟
R C
LC −
⎝ 4 ⎠
2 2 2
1 R R C
Usually, 
2
, LC  ,then equation (9) can be expressed as
LC 4L 4

⎛ 1 1 −
R
t ⎞
U c (t ) =⎜ sin( ∗ t )e 2L ⎟ ∗ U r (t ) (10)
⎜ ⎟
⎝ ⎠
LC LC

1000

stable solution
800
transient solution
synthesis solution
600

400
amplitude (mV)

200

-200

-400

-600

-800
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800
t (0.1uS)
Fig 6 Synthesis response of frequency selective network. The transient response will attenuate gradually, and the
frequency of the final response is the driving source frequency.
According to the equation (10), the output voltage consisted of two frequency components: the source frequency and free
frequency 1 ( 2π LC ) . As there was resistance in the circuit, the transient response with frequency 1 ( 2π LC ) would
attenuate gradually. The frequency of the stable response was the source frequency, as shown in Fig 6.
In the case that the frequency of driving source was near the resonance frequency of series LC network, the output
voltage was similar to the driving source voltage, while little phase error was presented.
As shown in Fig 4. Firstly, the output voltage was the free oscillation of Voltage Controlled Oscillation (VCO). As there
was phase error between inputs of PLL, the frequency of output voltage was forced to approach the free frequency of LC
network, which was related to the sensitive capacitance Cx , and another form of output signals was square wave form.
Although the sensitive capacitances Cx were changing following the change of acceleration which was detected, the
change speed of sensitive capacitance was much slower than that of resonance transient. And then, the sensitive
capacitance could be assumed as constant capacitance in the analysis.
Secondly, after passing the XOR gate, the two output square waves translated to Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) signal,
and the frequency of PWM signal duty was equal to the frequency difference between two input signals. Half sine wave
with the same period of PWM signal could be acquired by passing low-pass filter, as shown in Fig 7.

 
Fig 7 Signal flow. Two square waves pass through XOR gate, and then pass low-pass Filter

3. NUMERICAL SIMULATION
To check the validity of the detection of accelerator capacitance method based on circuit resonance, we performed a lot
of numerical calculations to simulate the output of a micro-accelerometer in different conditions including different
balance capacitance and different step length, as shown in Fig 8. According to test result of our “sandwich” structure
capacitance accelerometers, the typical parameters of this type accelerometers’ balance capacitance was 17pF.

   
(a) different balance capacitance (b) balance capacitance C0 = 17 pF
Fig 8 (a) Relationship between differential capacitance & frequency output (balance capacitance C0 =5pF, 10pF, 17pF ); (b)
Zoom in for the case that balance capacitance is 17pF (typical value for “sandwich” capacitance accelerometers)
As shown in equation (6), the frequency of output signal was closely related to the balance capacitance C 0 , as well as
the differential capacitance. This conclusion was also proved by the numerical experiment (Fig 8 (a)): the proportion
scales are respectively 357KHz/pF ( C 0 = 17 pF ), 795KHz/pF ( C 0 = 10 pF ), 2273KHz/pF ( C 0 = 5 pF ). Especially, in the
case of balance capacitance C 0 = 17 pF , the resolution can reach 0.1fF (35.7Hz), and if the system’s frequency response
is not so critical, the detection resolution can reach much higher.

4. CONCLUSIONS
A novel method of sensing the weak differential capacitance change of MEMS accelerometer with “sandwich” structure
is proposed. Theoretical analysis shows that the detection scheme features high linearity and high resolution, as well as
high immunity to interference due to the nature characteristics of frequency output. A series of bulk micromachined
“sandwich” accelerometer parameters are used as a simulation model for this detection scheme. Numerical study data
shows that the circuit resonance detecting scheme is superior to the traditional amplitude measurement schemes. In the
case of balance capacitance equaling to 17pF, the resolution can reach 0.1fF (35.7Hz). Higher resolution can be acquired
if the balance capacitance is reduced or the system’s frequency response is not so strict.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This research is supported by a grant from the Key Programs of National Natural Science Foundation of China under
Grant no. 60736025 and a grant from the Major Programs of China National Space Administration under Grant no.
D2120060013. This support is gratefully acknowledged.

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Song, Xing was born in Chibi, Hubei province, China, in 1983. He received his B.S degree in
Electrical Engineering from Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (BUAA), Beijing,
China, in 2006. Then he has been studying for his M.S degree in BUAA, since 2006. His current
interests include MEMS inertial sensors, biosensors and micromachining technologies.