Development of environmentally robust and thermally stable Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) based accelerometer for automotive applications

此次合作的目标是为汽车应用开发一种具有成本效益，稳定和抗冲击的微加速度计。基于微机电系统（MEMS）的加速度计是一种可以检测微小惯性运动的小型传感器。它们广泛应用于汽车，如稳定控制，安全气囊展开和碰撞检测。汽车应用需要加速度计在非常恶劣的环境中工作，包括振动、冲击、温度和热循环。尽管低成本的MEMS加速度计激增，但它们仍然存在低温稳定性，噪声和冲击抗扰性的问题。随着自动驾驶和汽车电气化的不断发展，对精确、强大且经济高效的传感器的需求也在不断增长。MEMS加速度计采用谐振硅块作为传感元件。硅基MEMS谐振器的主要问题是其固有的低热稳定性。目前，还没有固定的设计方法可以提高MEMS加速度计的稳定性和抗冲击能力。为了克服上述限制，本研究旨在采用一种突破性的方法，利用坚固的机械材料结合新颖的传感器设计，以实现热稳定性和冲击稳定性，并降低成本。这项NSERC联盟资助将是合作伙伴行业与温莎大学之间的首次合作，以开发基于MEMS的强大的温度和冲击稳定性加速度计。预计它还将在其他类似的汽车惯性传感器（包括陀螺仪和惯性测量单元）中产生连锁反应。这将给加拿大人带来重大利益，因为它将直接帮助在自主导航新兴领域急需的高性能和低成本微型传感器系统的创新，并有望提高加拿大在该领域的竞争力。它将使加拿大在高精度和稳定的加速度传感器开发的全球舞台上发挥领导作用。

The goal of this partnership is to develop a cost effective, stable and shock immune micro accelerometers for automotive applications. Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) based accelerometers are small sensors that can detect small inertial movements. They are widely used in automotive such as for stability control, air-bag deployment and crash detection. Automotive applications require accelerometers to work in quite harsh environment involving vibration, shock, temperature, and thermal cycling. Despite the surge in low-cost MEMS accelerometers, they still suffer from low temperature stability, noise and shock immunity. With the ever-increasing thrust for autonomy and electrification of vehicles the demand for precision, robust but cost-effective sensors is growing. MEMS accelerometers use a resonating silicon mass as the sensing element. The major issue with the silicon-based MEMS resonator is its inherent low thermal stability. Currently, there is no fixed design approach available to enhance the stability and shock immunity in cost-effective MEMS accelerometers. To overcome the above-mentioned limitations, this research aims to take a ground-breaking approach by utilizing robust mechanical materials combined with novel sensor design to achieve thermal and shock stability as well as lower the cost. This NSERC Alliance grant will be a first-time collaboration between the partner industries and the University of Windsor to develop a robust MEMS based accelerometer for temperature and shock stability. It is also expected to create a ripple effect in other similar automotive inertial sensors including gyroscopes and inertial measurement units. There will be major benefits to Canadians as it will directly assist the innovation of much-needed high-performance and cost-effective micro-sensor systems in the emerging area of autonomous navigation, and it is expected to increase Canada's competitiveness in this area. It will put Canada in a leadership role in the global arena in the high precision and stable acceleration sensor development.