Fabrication and characterization of a microaccelerometer based on resonant-tunneling diodes

A microaccelerometer based on gallium arsenide (GaAs) resonant-tunneling diodes (RTDs) is demonstrated. The input acceleration signal can be transformed into an output electrical signal using the meso-piezoresistive effects of the RTDs located at the root of the detection beams. Finite element simulations were performed to design, analyze, and optimize the structures of the accelerometer. The accelerometer was fabricated using a combination of GaAs IC surface and bulk micromachining techniques. Vibrating tests and shock tests were conducted to investigate the accelerometer characteristics. The experimental results revealed that the sensitivity of the RTD accelerometer was 7.91 mV/g. The noise resolution was ∼1.264 mg/√Hz, and the working frequency was up to 3 kHz.