Title :
MEMS electric-field sensor with lead zirconate titanate (PZT)-actuated electrodes
Author :
Ghionea, Simon ; Smith, Graeme ; Pulskamp, Jeffrey ; Bedair, Salah ; Meyer, C. ; Hull, D.
Author_Institution :
Sensors & Electron Devices Directorate, US Army Res. Lab., Adelphi, MD, USA
Abstract :
A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) electric-field sensor (EFS) is presented in which the ambient electric field (E-Field) is modulated by vertical electrode displacement using lead-zirconate-titanate (PZT) piezoelectric actuators. The device is fabricated with a multi-layer copper-on-PZT process, which enables large (~10 μm) displacement and high aspect ratio electrode structures as needed for sensitive detection. The modulated displacement current between two electrodes, measured using a transimpedance amplifier, is proportional to the ambient, sensed E-Field. Fabricated EFS devices yielded a responsivity of 830 fA/(V/m) and a limit of detection down to 0.19 V/m/rtHz in vacuum (0.30 V/m/rtHz in air) with a 491-Hz E-field applied.
Keywords :
electric field measurement; electrodes; lead compounds; microsensors; piezoelectric actuators; MEMS electric-field sensor; PZT; ambient electric field; frequency 491 Hz; lead zirconate titanate (PZT)-actuated electrodes; microelectromechanical system; modulated displacement current; multi-layer copper-on-PZT process; transimpedance amplifier; vertical electrode displacement; Actuators; Electrodes; Frequency measurement; Frequency modulation; Micromechanical devices; Resonant frequency;
Conference_Titel :
SENSORS, 2013 IEEE
Conference_Location :
Baltimore, MD
DOI :
10.1109/ICSENS.2013.6688131
