High-Performance Mems Magnetic Sensor Based on a Smart Tunable Resonator

Smart sensor systems are fueling the new technological revolution, and there is an immediate need to accelerate their progress. Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) based sensor systems are known for their high performance, low energy-area foot-print and high sensitivity. In this context, we propose a smart tunable MEMS resonator for sensing applications. The microdevice is based on a clamped guided microbeam connected to a straight and two V-shaped micro-actuators, enabling the application of a thermal axial load. The inherent design of the resonator allows for smart and selective actuator triggering that translates into a wide range of sensor selectivity for different input power ranges. As proof of concept, we demonstrate a high-performance magnetic sensor based on the proposed device. This work gives insight into actuator geometry for high tunability and better magnetic sensing performance via thermal axial load-Lorentz force interaction. The device is operated at atmospheric pressure and the sensitivity is measured with optical sensing (laser). As a result, the sensor shows a good sensitivity value of 0.053/T and exhibits excellent linearity in a wide magnetic field range (± 400mT). Hence, the smart tunable resonator opens avenues for 3-axis magnetic sensing applications with different sensitivity and powering requirements, leading to the development of a smart multifunctional sensor system.