A high performance variable capacitance accelerometer

A variable-capacitance acceleration sensor manufactured using silicon microfabrication techniques is described. The sensor uses midplane flat-plate suspension, gas damping, and overrange stops. The sensor is assembled from three silicon wafers, using anodic bonds to inlays of borosilicate glass. Typical sensor properties are 7 pF of active capacitance, 3 pF of rare capacitance, a response of 0.2 pF/G, a resonance frequency of 3.4 kHz, and damping 0.7 critical. An accelerometer using this sensor offers improved sensitivity, bandwidth, and shock resistance