Homework #4 MEMS6460

Vidhukiran Venkataraman,
GT ID: 903663525

1) 3. A piezoelectric ZnO layer (d31 = 5 pC/N, εr = 8ε0) is used to transduce a signal in a micro
accelerometer with a cantilever beam made of silicon (E = 160 GPa). The piezoelectric
material is located at the support bases of the cantilever beam where the maximum strain
exists during bending of the beam, as illustrated below. The z direction is perpendicular to
the upper beam surface, and the x direction is along the beam. Determine the electrical
voltage output from the piezoelectric film when a force of 10-3 N is applied at the cantilever
tip (mass). The mass of the cantilever is negligible. (30 points)
(εr is the relative dielectric constant and ε0 is 8.85×10−12 F/m)

Solution:

𝐹 = 10−3 N

𝐹𝑙𝑡 (10−3 𝑁)(1000 ×10−6 𝑚)(50 ×10−6 𝑚)

𝜀1 = = 3= 0.0015
2𝐸𝐼 9 (10 ×10−6 𝑚) (50 ×10−6 𝑚)
2(160 ×10 𝑁)( 12

We know that
𝜀1 = 𝑑31 𝐸3 + 𝑆11 𝐸 𝜎1 and

𝜀33 𝜎 𝐸3
𝜎1 = −
𝑑31
𝜀
𝜀1 = 𝐸3 (𝑑31 - 𝑑31 )𝑉/𝑡𝑝𝑖𝑒𝑧𝑜
31
 Substituting the values, we get
V = 27.86 N

2) This problem deals with the piezoresistive pressure sensor whose structure is shown below.
The pressure sensor is to be fabricated on a (100) silicon wafer. Four p-type piezoresistors
with a resistivity of 7.8 Ω-cm are fabricated on a 2mm square p-type diaphragm of
thickness 5µm. Assume that the length of the piezoresistor is negligible as compared to the
diaphragm size. The width of the piezoresistors can be also neglected. The four resistors
are located at the edge of the diaphragms: the two (R2 and R4) along the diaphragm edge
and the other two (R1 and R3) perpendicular to the diaphragm edge. The diaphragm edge
is misaligned relative to the flat cut by an angle of q=15° (40 points)
Hint: When the length of the piezoresistor is negligible as compared to the diaphragm size, then:

Assume C is a coefficient with a value of 0.3. P is the pressure applied, l and h are the length and
depth of the piezoresistors.

(a) Find the longitudinal piezoresistive coefficient (pl) and transverse piezoresistive coefficient
(pt) of the p-type piezoresitors at room temperature when the resistors are misaligned by
15o as shown above. (10 points)
(b) Find the Poisson Ratio of silicon wafer in the misaligned direction. (5 points)
(c) Find the Young’s Modulus of silicon wafer in the misaligned direction. (5 points)
(d) Find the relative resistance change (DR1/R1 and DR2/R2). (10 points)
(e) In fact, the pressure sensor as shown in the figure above cannot be formed by anisotropic
silicon etching. If you etch the silicon with the mask shown above, what would be the final
 diaphragm size? Assume the wafer thickness is 500µm and diaphragm thickness is
negligible (5 µm << 500 µm). (10 points)

For (b) and (c) use the figures below:

Solution:
(a)
(b) Reading the plot at 15 degrees offset from the <110> direction, we get the Poisson ratio as
0.15

(c) Reading the plot at 15 degrees offset from the <110> direction, we get the Young’s modulus
as 157 GPa.

(d)

(e)
The final diaphragm size considering the misalignment of 15 degrees is
= 2mm (cos (15) + sin(15)) – 2*(500 microns) = 1.45 mm
 3) A piezoresistive silicon force sensor for scanning probe microscopy is fabricated using bulk
micromachining. The force sensor (see side-view and top-view below) consists of an n-
type silicon cantilever beam with a length of 250 μm, a width of 30 μm and a thickness
of 2 μm. Due to the small cantilever width only a single p-doped piezoresistor (with two
legs) can be placed at the clamped edge of the beam. Each leg of the piezoresistor is 30 μm
long and extents from the clamped edge of the beam towards the beam's tip. The
piezoresistor is doped with NA = 5×1018 cm-3 and has a junction depth of only 0.2 μm. Thus,
you can assume the resistor to be located at the beam surface for the calculations. (20
points)
• Note: you can apply up to 1 mA of current to the piezoresistor to measure the resistance
change. Use the following properties for silicon: E = 160 GPa, 𝜈= 0, 𝜌= 2300 kg/m3.

a) Under which angle with respect to the direction of the primary flat of a (100) wafer do you
have to align the cantilever to obtain maximum piezoresistive coefficients? Justify your
answer. (5 points)

Solution:

For getting the maximum piezoresisitve coefficients with respect to alignment of the wafer, we
must maximize the function
𝑓(𝜃) = (cos 𝜃)2 (sin 𝜃)2

That is,
𝑑𝑓(𝜃)
=0
𝑑𝜃
 Solving, we get
the angle with respect to primary flat of <100> wafer to be 45 degrees

(b) Calculate the spring constant of the force sensor. (5 points)

Solution:

The spring constant of the mass sensor is calculated as:

3
(2×10−6 𝑚) (30×10−6 𝑚)
9
3𝐸𝐼 2 × 3 × (160 ×10 𝑁)(
𝑘 = 2×൬ 3 ൰ = 12 = 𝟐𝟕𝟔. 𝟒𝟖 Nm
𝑙 −6 3
(250 ×10 𝑚)

(c) Estimate the resistance change ∆R/R (magnitude and sign) of the piezoresistor for a 1 nm
deflection of the tip in the indicated direction. Assume only a stress component along the
length of the cantilever, but account for the stress change along the cantilever length in your
calculation. (10 points)

Solution:

Solving for teta = 45 degrees, we have

𝜋𝑙 = 71.8 × 10−11

𝜋𝑡 = −66.3 × 10−11

= 6.75 ×10𝟓 Pa
Adding stress due to 1nm of deflection, we get
10−9
𝜎𝑙 = 6.75 × 105 + (160 × 109 ) ቆ ቇ
250 × 10−6
= 𝟏. 𝟑𝟏𝟓 × 𝟏𝟎𝟔 Pa
Substituting in,

𝟗. 𝟒𝟒 × 𝟏𝟎−𝟒
−𝟖. 𝟕𝟏 × 𝟏𝟎−𝟒 Pa