Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
1508107 | Cryogenics | 2009 | 4 Pages |
Abstract
The gradient in the gravity acceleration is of great interest for planetologists when it can be measured with at least 1 E/√Hz. For this purpose several gravity gradiometer designs are considered. A MEMS-based gradiometer made from a single wafer is considered in this article. Using long springs and small attached masses it is possible to reach a sufficiently low Brownian noise level. The proposed readout for this device will be capacitive plates placed in a comb drive configuration. Trapped charges on these plates can cause noticeable errors when there are more than 0.004 electrons/μm2. Measurements show that trapped charge mobility goes down with temperature.
Keywords
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Materials Science
Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
Authors
J. Flokstra, R. Cuperus, R.J. Wiegerink, M.C. van Essen,