Design and fabrication of a GaAs/Al0.4Ga0.6As micro-accelerometer based on piezoresistive effect

In this paper, a novel piezoresistive accelerometer based on the piezoresistive effect of GaAs/Al0.4Ga0.6As thin films was designed. The piezoresistive accelerometer contains four suspended flexural beams and a central proof mass configuration. The piezoresistive effect of a piezoresistor or thin film was used to make a resistor changing the output that is proportional to applied acceleration. The GaAs-based piezoresistive accelerometer was prepared with advanced surface micromachining processes, and bulk micromachining processes. Finally, the static pressure experiments were conducted on the sensing element. The experimental results showed that the combined semiconductor heterostructures and mechanical cantilevers have a good stress sensitive characteristic. The integration of these technologies promises to bring about a revolution in the applications of the semiconductor fine-structure devices.