Handbook of Silicon Based MEMS Materials and Technologies

Chapter Twelve. Electrostatic and RF-Properties of MEMS Structures

12.1. Introduction

Well-known examples of micromechanical sensors are accelerometers, pressure sensors and cantilevers that are used, for example, as fluid sensors and in various microscopes.

In designing and modeling of nano and micromechanical systems the following general aspects should be taken into account:

• The sound velocity depends on the chosen material and affects the properties of dynamical systems.
• Particular design finally determines basic resonance modes and frequencies and leads to the modification of stiffness.
• Any mechanical device has an infinite number of various mechanical vibrational modes.
• Dissipation of mechanical energy is often difficult to predict, ...