High Sensitivity Micro-machined Piezoresistive Strain Sensor☆

Abstract This paper presents a micro-machined piezoresistive sensor capable of measuring very small strains. The sensor design, based on piezoresistive sensing technology, was optimized by the numerical method using Finite Element Method (FEM) to enhance sensibility. The high sensibility is achieved through a reduction of section and through the action of the bending moment. As a result, a sensor with a sensitivity of 569.4608 μV/V/μɛ, which can be fabricated by the SensoNor MultiMEMS process, is proposed. Furthermore, practical essays with macro prototypes confirmed and validated the numerical analysis. Such a sensor can be a direct replacement for the strain gauges and its very high sensitivity opens the door to many other applications, that otherwise would not be possible.