Silicon micromachined high-shock accelerometers with a curved-surface-application structure for over-range stop protection and free-mode-resonance depression

In this paper we present a high-shock accelerometer that is in high demand in many engineering applications. The device, formed by using advanced silicon bulk micromachining technology, including deep-reactive ionic etching, uses a single-chip structure that facilitates packaging and contributes to low-cost mass-production. A novel curved-surface-application stop structure is designed and micromachining formed for the improved protection of over-range shock and the depression of free-mode resonance. By using a dropping-hammer testing system, characterizations of the sensors show a sensitivity of 3 μV g −1 for a 13 700 g shock-range and satisfied wave fidelity of response to shock.