Micromachined inclinometer with high sensitivity and very good stability

An investigation on thermal inclinometers working with free convective flow is presented. This type of sensors shows high sensitivity and good baseline stability. Thermal time constants of 110 ms are achieved. Due to the free convection working principle, the housing has a direct influence on the sensor function. Experiments with different kinds of sensor caps are presented, the system composition and the sensor housing especially the dependence on cap volume and the enclosed gas are discussed.