INTRODUCTION TO

MEMS Module
Introduction to the MEMS Module
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Part number. CM020904

Contents

The MEMS Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

MEMS Devices: Physics and Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
The MEMS Module Physics Interface Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Physics Interface Guide by Space Dimension and Preset Study
Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Tutorial Model: Modeling a Capacitive Pressure Sensor. . . . . . 26

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4|
The MEMS Module

The MEMS Module is used by engineers and scientists to understand, predict, and
design microsystems. The use of simulation tools in the design cycle can enhance
understanding, reduce prototyping, and ultimately produce better products with
lower development costs. The MEMS Module makes it possible to quickly and
accurately predict the structural, electrical, and thermal performance of MEMS
devices. The built-in multiphysics capabilities in COMSOL Multiphysics make it
straightforward to model devices in which different physical effects are coupled,
making it particularly suited to address a wide range of problems encountered in
MEMS design.
The MEMS Module enables the stationary and dynamic performance of devices
to be modeled in two and three dimensions, together with circuit-based modeling
of active and passive devices. In the frequency domain, powerful tools are available
to model devices driven by a combination of AC and DC signals or forces.
Predefined physics interfaces, referred to as MEMS physics interfaces, address a
wide range of physical phenomena that are employed in MEMS sensors and
actuators. MEMS physics interfaces are available for simulating structural
mechanics, electrostatics, electric currents, piezoelectricity, piezoresistivity,
thin-film fluid flow, heat transfer, and electrical circuits. These physics interfaces
can also be coupled arbitrarily to solve multiphysics problems, and a number of
predefined couplings are also available as MEMS physics interfaces. These include
electromechanics (for combining electrostatic forces with structural mechanics),
Joule heating, Joule heating and thermal expansion, and fluid-structure
interaction (for combining fluid flow with structural mechanics).
For each of the MEMS physics interfaces, the underlying physical principles are
expressed in the form of partial differential equations, together with
corresponding initial and boundary conditions. COMSOL’s design emphasizes
the physics by providing users with the equations solved by each feature and
offering the user full access to the underlying equation system. There is also
tremendous flexibility to add user-defined equations and expressions to the
system. For example, to model Joule heating in a structure with
temperature-dependent elastic properties, simply enter in the elastic constants as a
function of temperature — no scripting or coding is required. When COMSOL
Multiphysics compiles the equations, the complex couplings generated by these
user-defined expressions are automatically included in the equation system. The
equations are then solved using the finite element method and a range of industrial
strength solvers. Once a solution is obtained, a vast range of postprocessing tools
are available to analyze the data, and predefined plots are automatically generated
to show the device response. COMSOL Multiphysics offers the flexibility to
evaluate and visualize a wide range of physical quantities, including predefined

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quantities such as the temperature, the electric field, or the stress tensor (available
through easy-to-use menus), as well as arbitrary user-defined expressions.
To model a MEMS device the geometry is first defined in the software (or
imported from a CAD file or system). Then appropriate materials are selected and
a suitable MEMS physics interface is added. Initial conditions and boundary
conditions are set up within the physics interface. Next, the mesh is defined and a
solver is selected. Finally the results are visualized using a wide range of
postprocessing tools. All of these steps are accessed from the COMSOL Desktop
graphical user interface.

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MEMS Devices: Physics and Applications

The smaller size of MEMS devices has important effects on the physical processes
that govern their operation. The MEMS physics interfaces allow the simulation of
the important physical effects that dominate at the microscale.
In general, as the length scale (L) of the device is reduced, the scaling of a physical
effect with respect to L determines its relative importance. The inertial force
required to produce a fixed acceleration of a solid body scales volumetrically as L3.
The scaling of other forces in comparison to this inertial force has important
consequences for MEMS devices. For example, the effective spring constant for a
body scales as L1. The spring stiffness therefore decreases much more slowly than
the system mass as the size of the system is reduced, resulting in higher resonant
frequencies for smaller devices (resonant frequency scales as L1). This means that
micromechanical systems typically have higher operating frequencies and faster
response times than macroscopic systems.
Electrostatic forces scale favorably as the device dimensions are reduced (for
example, the force between parallel plates with a fixed applied voltage scales as L0).
Additionally, electrostatic actuators consume no DC power and can be
manufactured using processes that are compatible with standard semiconductor
foundries. Many MEMS devices utilize electrostatic actuation for this reason.
The following image shows the mode shape for an electrostatically actuated
MEMS resonator, which is operated with an applied DC bias. The graph shows
that the resonant frequency decreases as the applied potential increases; this is due
to the softening of the coupled electromechanical system. The small size of the
device results in a MHz resonant frequency even for a simple flexural mode. In
addition the favorable scaling of the electromagnetic forces enables efficient
capacitive actuation that would not be possible on the macroscale.

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Piezoelectric forces also scale well as the device dimension is reduced (the force
produced by a constant applied voltage scales as L1). Furthermore, piezoelectric
sensors and actuators are predominantly linear and do not consume DC power in
operation. Piezoelectrics are more difficult to integrate with standard
semiconductor processes, but significant progress has been made with commercial
successes in the market (for example, FBAR filters). Quartz frequency references
can be considered the highest volume MEMS component currently in production
with more than 1 billion (1·109) devices manufactured per year. Although not
traditionally considered to be within the MEMS umbrella (the quartz industry
long predates the coining of the term), many of these devices have mm to sub-mm
dimensions and are lithographically defined. Furthermore, some quartz products
are now being branded as MEMS devices.
The following figure shows the mechanical response of a thickness shear quartz
oscillator, together with a graph showing the effect of a series capacitance (Cs) on
the frequency response. A series capacitance is frequently used to tune or pull the
resonance of quartz oscillators.

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Thermal forces scale as L2, assuming that the forces are generated by a fixed
temperature change. This scaling is still favorable in comparison to inertial forces,
and the thermal time scale also scales well (as L2), making thermal actuators faster
on the microscale (although thermal actuators are typically slower than capacitive
or piezoelectric actuators). Thermal actuators are also easy to integrate with
semiconductor processes although they usually consume large amounts of power
and thus have had a limited commercial applicability. Thermal effects play an
important role in the manufacture of many commercial MEMS technologies with
thermal stresses in deposited thin films being critical for many applications. The
following figure shows the temperature within a displaced, Joule-heated actuator.

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Fluidic MEMS devices, or microfluidic devices, represent an increasingly
important area of MEMS. COMSOL provides a separate Microfluidics Module to
specifically address these applications. Nonetheless, the MEMS Module includes
significant microfluidic functionality for simulating the interaction of MEMS
structures with fluids. One area of significant interest is that of thin-film damping.
Damping forces scale as L1 and are often important for MEMS devices, frequently
leading to a requirement for vacuum packaging. The figure below shows the
pressure on the surface of a simple accelerometer. This pressure results from the
compression of the thin layer of rarefied gas between the accelerometer and the
package (the package is not shown in the figure).

10 |
The preceding discussion has focused on the forces available for driving actuators,
but scaling is also important for the operation of sensors. Piezoresistive sensors
typically produce an output proportional to stress, which for a fixed strain scales
independently of device dimension (as L0). The piezoresistive effect refers to the
change in a material’s conductivity that occurs in response to an applied stress. The
ease of integration of small piezoresistors with standard semiconductor processes,
along with the reasonably linear response of the sensor, has made this technology
particularly important in the pressure sensor industry. The following figure shows
the current distribution and the induced voltage in a piezoresistor that senses the
deflection of a pressure sensor.

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The MEMS Module Physics Interface Guide
The MEMS physics interfaces are used to simulate MEMS devices. Each physics
interface expresses the relevant physical phenomena in the form of sets of partial
or ordinary differential equations, together with appropriate boundary and initial
conditions. Each feature added to the physics interface represents a term or
condition in the underlying equation set. These features are usually associated
with a geometric entity within the model, such as a domain, boundary, edge (for
3D components), or point. Figure 1 uses the Micromirror model (found in the
MEMS Module application library) to show the Model Builder and the Settings
window for the selected Linear Elastic Material 1 feature node. This node adds the
equations of structural mechanics to the simulation within the domains selected.
Under the Linear Elastic Material section several settings indicate that the Young’s
modulus, Poisson’s ratio, and density are inherited from the material properties
assigned to the domain. The material properties can be set up as functions of other
dependent variables in the model, such as temperature. The Free and Fixed
boundary conditions are also indicated in the model tree. The Free boundary
condition is applied by default to all surfaces in the model and allows free motion
of the surface. The Fixed boundary condition is used to constrain surfaces that are
held in place, for example, by attachment to the wafer handle.

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Highlighted
node shown
in settings
window

Boundary
conditions

Coordinate system
determines the
material orientation
for anisotropic materials

Material properties
are usually imported
directly from materials
added to the model.
When the material

{
properties depend
on a physical quantity,
such as temperature,
that is solved for in
another physics interface,
the temperature is
entered in the
Model Inputs section

Figure 1: The Model Builder (to the left), and the Settings window for Linear Elastic Material 1 for the
selected feature node (to the right). The Equation section in the Settings window shows the model
equations. The terms added to the equation system by the feature are underlined with a dotted line.
Note that geometric nonlinearity has been disabled in the solver settings to make the equation form
simpler.

The MEMS Module includes a number of physics interfaces to enable modeling

of different physical situations encountered in microsystem design. When a new
model is started, these physics interfaces are selected from the Model Wizard.

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Figure 2 shows the Model Wizard with the physics interfaces included with the
MEMS Module. Since MEMS is a multidisciplinary industry, the physics interfaces
are spread over a number of different areas within COMSOL’s supported physics
types and correspondingly appear on several branches of the Model Wizard. Also
see Physics Interface Guide by Space Dimension and Preset Study Type. Below, a brief
overview of each of the MEMS Module physics interfaces is given.

Figure 2: The MEMS Module physics interfaces as displayed in the Model Wizard. Note that this is for
3D components.

E LECTROSTATICS
The Electrostatics interface ( ), found under the AC/DC branch in the Model
Wizard, solves for the electric potential given the charge distribution in the
domain and the voltages applied to boundaries. It is used to model electrostatic
devices under static or quasistatic conditions, that is, at frequencies sufficiently low
that wave propagation effects can be neglected. A typical application for this
physics interface would be computing the low-frequency capacitance of an
unbiased MEMS device.

E LECTRIC C URRENTS
The Electric Currents interface ( ), found under the AC/DC branch in the
Model Wizard, is used to model DC, AC, and transient electric current flow in
conductive and capacitive media. The physics interface solves a current
conservation equation for the electric potential. This physics interface could be
used to compute the current distribution in interconnect layers.

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E LECTRICAL C IRCUIT
The Electrical Circuit interface ( ), found under the AC/DC branch in the
Model Wizard, has the equations to model electrical circuits with or without
connections to a distributed fields model. The physics interface solves for the
voltages, currents, and charges associated with the circuit elements. Circuit models
can contain passive elements like resistors, capacitors, and inductors as well as
active elements such as diodes and transistors. Circuits can be imported from an
existing SPICE net list. A typical application of this physics interface would be in
evaluating the effect of a series capacitor on a quartz crystal oscillator.

E LECTROMECHANICS
The Electromechanics predefined multiphysics interface ( ), found under the
Structural Mechanics branch in the Model Wizard, combines the Electrostatics
and Solid Mechanics physics interfaces with the Electromechanical Forces
multiphysics coupling and the Moving Mesh multiphysics definition to solve the
structural equations together with the equations of electrostatics. Electrical forces
are added to structures within the model, and isotropic electrostriction can also be
included if desired. This multiphysics interface should be used for the modeling of
electrostatically actuated MEMS devices, as well as for capacitance-based sensors
which detect structural deformation.

E LECTROMECHANICS , B OUNDARY E LEMENTS

The Electromechanics predefined multiphysics interface ( ), found under the
Structural Mechanics branch in the Model Wizard, combines the Electrostatics,
Boundary Elements and Solid Mechanics physics interfaces with the
Electromechanical Forces multiphysics coupling. The interface is the same as
Electromechanics, except that the boundary element method is used for the
electrostatics part of the problem. Moving Mesh is not required when using this
approach.

F LUID -S TRUCTURE I NTERACTION

The Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) interface ( ), found under the Fluid Flow
branch in the Model Wizard, combines fluid flow with solid mechanics to capture
the interactions between fluids and solid structures. A Solid Mechanics interface
and a Single-Phase Flow interface model the solid and the fluid, respectively. The
flow can be either laminar or turbulent (turbulent flow requires the CFD Module,
which also allows Two-Phase and Three-Phase Flow interfaces to be coupled to
solid mechanics). The FSI couplings appear on the boundaries between the fluid
and the solid. The Fluid-Structure Interaction interface uses an arbitrary
Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) method to combine the fluid flow formulated using

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an Eulerian description and a spatial frame with solid mechanics formulated using
a Lagrangian description and a material (reference) frame.

J OULE H EATING AND T HERMAL E XPANSION

The Joule Heating and Thermal Expansion interface ( ) combines thermal,
electric, and structural multiphysics effects. The predefined coupling adds the
electromagnetic losses from the electric field as a heat source. Choosing this
option from the Model Wizard adds the Solid Mechanics ( ), Electric
Currents ( ) and Heat Transfer in Solids ( ) interfaces to the model, along
with the appropriate couplings for Joule Heating (found under the Multiphysics
Branch of the Model Builder ( )). The multiphysics interface describes the
conduction of electric current in a structure, the subsequent electric heating
caused by the ohmic losses in the structure, and the thermal stresses induced by
the temperature field. Typical applications include thermal actuators.

P IEZOELECTRICITY
The Piezoelectricity interface ( ), found under the Structural Mechanics branch
in the Model Wizard, is used when piezoelectric materials are present in a model.
The piezoelectric coupling can be specified in stress-charge or strain-charge form.
Choosing this option from the Model Wizard adds the Solid Mechanics and the
Electrostatics interfaces to the model. A Piezoelectric Material is added by default
to all domains in the Solid Mechanics interface and a Charge Conservation,
Piezoelectric node is added to the same domains in the Electrostatics interface.
These two nodes are coupled by the Piezoelectric Effect multiphysics coupling
feature (found under the Multiphysics Branch of the Model Builder).

P IEZORESISTIVITY
The Piezoresistivity interfaces ( ), found under the Structural Mechanics branch
in the Model Wizard, combine the Solid Mechanics interface (or the Shell
interface) with the Electric Currents interface (or the Electric Currents, Single
Layer Shell interface) and adds the constitutive relations for piezoresistive
materials. Piezoresistive materials can be modeled together with structural and
conducting materials. Applications include modeling piezoresistive pressure
sensors.

P YROELECTRICITY
The Pyroelectricity multiphysics interface ( ) combines the Electrostatics and
the Heat Transfer physics interfaces with the Pyroelectricity multiphysics coupling.
Found under the AC/DC branch in the Model Wizard, the Pyroelectricity

16 |
interface is used to simulate the electric polarization in solid dielectrics resulting
from the variations of temperature.

P IEZOELECTRICITY AND P YROELECTRICITY

The Piezoelectricity and Pyroelectricity multiphysics interface ( ) combines the
Electrostatics, the Heat Transfer, and the Solid Mechanics physics interfaces with
the Piezoelectric Effect, the Thermal Expansion, and the Pyroelectricity
multiphysics couplings. Found under the Structural Mechanics branch in the
Model Wizard, the Piezoelectricity and Pyroelectricity interface is used to simulate
the electric polarization in piezoelectric material resulting from the variations of
temperature.

S OLID M ECHANICS
The Solid Mechanics interface ( ) defines the quantities and features for stress
analysis and general linear and nonlinear solid mechanics, solving for the
displacements. The Linear Elastic Material node is the default material model. In
addition, the elastic material model can be extended with thermal expansion,
viscoelasticity, damping, and initial stress and strain features. The description of
elastic materials in the module includes isotropic, orthotropic, and fully
anisotropic materials. A number of preset study types are available—see the list in
Physics Interface Guide by Space Dimension and Preset Study Type.

T HIN -F ILM F LOW

The Thin-Film Flow ( ) interfaces model the flow of liquids or gases confined
in a thin layer on a surface. Using equations defined on the surface, these physics
interfaces compute the average velocity and pressure in narrow planar structures.
In MEMS applications, these physics interfaces are typically used to model thin
film damping.

T HERMAL S TRESS
The Thermal Stress interface ( ) combines thermal and structural multiphysics
effects. The predefined coupling adds the thermal expansion that results from a
heat transfer problem to a structure. Choosing this option from the Model Wizard
adds the Solid Mechanics ( ) and Heat Transfer in Solids ( ) interfaces to the
model as well as features which couple the structural expansion to the temperature
distribution in the solid (these features are found under the Multiphysics Branch
of the Model Builder ( )). A typical application might be to model the
deformation of a device caused by a thermal gradient.

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T HERMOELASTICITY
The Thermoelasticity predefined multiphysics interface ( ) combines the Solid
Mechanics and Heat Transfer in Solids physics interfaces with the Thermal
Expansion multiphysics coupling to solve for the displacement of the structure and
the temperature deviations and the resulting heat transfer induced by the
thermoelastic coupling. Thermoelasticity is an important contribution to the
damping of high quality factor MEMS resonators.

Physics Interface Guide by Space Dimension and Preset Study Type

The table below list the physics interfaces available specifically with this module in
addition to the COMSOL Multiphysics basic license.

PHYSICS INTERFACE ICON TAG SPACE AVAILABLE STUDY TYPE

DIMENSION

AC/DC

Electric Currents1 ec all dimensions stationary; stationary source

sweep; frequency domain;
time dependent; small signal
analysis, frequency domain;
eigenfrequency
Electric Currents in Shells ecis 3D stationary; frequency
domain; time dependent;
eigenfrequency
Electric Currents in Layered ecis 3D stationary; frequency
Shells domain; time dependent;
eigenfrequency
Electrical Circuit cir Not space stationary; frequency
dependent domain; time dependent;
frequency domain;
eigenfrequency
Electrostatics1 es all dimensions stationary; time dependent;
stationary source sweep;
eigenfrequency; frequency
domain; small signal analysis,
frequency domain

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PHYSICS INTERFACE ICON TAG SPACE AVAILABLE STUDY TYPE
DIMENSION

Elastic Waves

Elastic Waves, Time elte 3D, 2D, 2D time dependent

Explicit axisymmetric
Piezoelectric Waves, — 3D, 2D, 2D time dependent
Time Explicit axisymmetric
Transport in Solids ts all dimensions stationary; time dependent

Fluid Flow

Single-Phase Flow

Laminar Flow1 spf 3D, 2D, 2D stationary; time dependent

axisymmetric
Fluid-Structure Interaction

Fluid–Solid Interaction2 — 3D, 2D, 2D stationary; time dependent

axisymmetric
Conjugate Heat — 3D, 2D, 2D stationary; time dependent;
Transfer, Fluid–Solid axisymmetric
Interaction2
Fluid–Solid Interaction, — 3D, 2D, 2D time dependent; time
Viscoelastic Flow2,7 axisymmetric dependent with phase
initialization
Fluid–Solid Interaction, — 3D, 2D, 2D time dependent; time
Two-Phase Flow, Phase axisymmetric dependent with phase
Field2,6 initialization

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PHYSICS INTERFACE ICON TAG SPACE AVAILABLE STUDY TYPE
DIMENSION

Solid–Thin-Film — 3D, 2D, 2D stationary; eigenfrequency;

Damping2 axisymmetric time dependent; time
dependent, modal; time
dependent, modal
reduced-order model;
frequency domain;
frequency domain, modal;
frequency domain, modal
reduced-order model; time
dependent; response
spectrum; random vibration
(PSD)
Shell–Thin-Film — 3D, 2D stationary; eigenfrequency;
Damping2 axisymmetric time dependent; time
dependent, modal; time
dependent, modal
reduced-order model;
frequency domain;
frequency domain, modal;
frequency domain, modal
reduced-order model; time
dependent; response
spectrum; random vibration
(PSD)
Thin-Film Flow

Thin–Film Flow tff 3D, 2D, 2D stationary; time dependent;

axisymmetric frequency domain;
eigenfrequency
Thin–Film Flow, tff 2D stationary; time dependent;
Domain frequency domain;
eigenfrequency
Electromagnetic Heating

Joule Heating1,2 — all dimensions stationary; time dependent;

small-signal analysis;
frequency domain
Pyroelectricity — 3D, 2D, 2D stationary; time dependent
axisymmetric

20 |
PHYSICS INTERFACE ICON TAG SPACE AVAILABLE STUDY TYPE
DIMENSION

Structural Mechanics

Solid Mechanics1 solid 3D, 2D, 2D stationary; eigenfrequency;

axisymmetric, eigenfrequency, prestressed;
1D, 1D mode analysis; time
axisymmetric dependent; time dependent,
modal; time dependent,
modal reduced-order
model; frequency domain;
frequency domain, modal;
frequency domain,
prestressed; frequency
domain, prestressed, modal;
frequency domain, modal
reduced-order model;
frequency domain, AWE
reduced-order model;
response spectrum; random
vibration (PSD); linear
buckling
Phase Field Damage8 — 3D, 2D, 2D stationary; time dependent
axisymmetric

Thermal–Structure Interaction

Thermal Stress, Solid2 — 3D, 2D, 2D stationary; time dependent

axisymmetric
Joule Heating and — 3D, 2D, 2D stationary; time dependent
Thermal Expansion2 axisymmetric
Thermoelasticity2 — 3D, 2D, 2D eigenfrequency; frequency
axisymmetric domain; time dependent
Electromechanics

Electromechanics2 — 3D, 2D, 2D stationary; eigenfrequency,

axisymmetric prestressed; time
dependent; frequency
domain, prestressed

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PHYSICS INTERFACE ICON TAG SPACE AVAILABLE STUDY TYPE
DIMENSION

Electromechanics, — 3D, 2D stationary; eigenfrequency,

Boundary Elements2 prestressed; time
dependent; frequency
domain, prestressed
Piezoelectricity

Piezoelectricity, Solid2 — 3D, 2D, 2D stationary; eigenfrequency;

axisymmetric eigenfrequency, prestressed;
time dependent; time
dependent, modal;
frequency domain;
frequency domain, modal;
frequency domain,
prestressed; frequency
domain, prestressed, modal;
small-signal analysis,
frequency domain; linear
buckling
Piezoelectricity, Layered — 3D stationary; eigenfrequency;
Shell2,5 time dependent; frequency
domain
Piezoelectricity and — 3D, 2D, 2D stationary; eigenfrequency;
Pyroelectricity2 axisymmetric eigenfrequency, prestressed;
time dependent; time
dependent, modal;
frequency domain;
frequency domain, modal;
frequency domain,
prestressed; frequency
domain, prestressed, modal;
small-signal analysis,
frequency domain; linear
buckling
Magnetomechanics

22 |
PHYSICS INTERFACE ICON TAG SPACE AVAILABLE STUDY TYPE
DIMENSION

Piezomagnetism2,3 — 3D, 2D, 2D stationary; eigenfrequency;

axisymmetric time dependent; frequency
domain; small-signal analysis,
frequency domain;
eigenfrequency, prestressed;
frequency domain,
prestressed
Nonlinear — 3D, 2D, 2D stationary; eigenfrequency;
Magnetostriction2,3 axisymmetric time dependent; frequency
domain; small-signal analysis,
frequency domain;
eigenfrequency, prestressed;
frequency domain,
prestressed
Magnetomechanics2,3 — 3D, 2D, 2D stationary; eigenfrequency;
axisymmetric time dependent; frequency
domain; small-signal analysis,
frequency domain;
eigenfrequency, prestressed;
frequency domain,
prestressed
Magnetomechanics, No — 3D, 2D, 2D stationary; eigenfrequency;
Currents2,3 axisymmetric time dependent; frequency
domain; small-signal analysis,
frequency domain;
eigenfrequency, prestressed;
frequency domain,
prestressed
Electrostriction

Ferroelectroelasticity2 — 3D, 2D, 2D stationary; time dependent;

axisymmetric frequency domain
Electrostriction2 — 3D, 2D, 2D stationary; time dependent;
axisymmetric frequency domain

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PHYSICS INTERFACE ICON TAG SPACE AVAILABLE STUDY TYPE
DIMENSION

Piezoresistivity

Piezoresistivity, Domain — 3D stationary; eigenfrequency;

Currents2 time dependent; time
dependent, modal;
frequency domain;
frequency domain, modal;
small-signal analysis,
frequency domain;
eigenfrequency, prestressed;
frequency domain,
prestressed
Piezoresistivity, — 3D stationary; eigenfrequency;
Boundary Currents2 time dependent; time
dependent, modal;
frequency domain;
frequency domain, modal;
small-signal analysis,
frequency domain;
eigenfrequency, prestressed;
frequency domain,
prestressed
Piezoresistivity, Shell2,4 — 3D stationary; time dependent;
time dependent, modal;
frequency domain;
frequency domain, modal;
small-signal analysis,
frequency domain;
eigenfrequency, prestressed;
frequency domain,
prestressed

24 |
PHYSICS INTERFACE ICON TAG SPACE AVAILABLE STUDY TYPE
DIMENSION

Piezoresistivity, Layered — 3D stationary; time dependent;

Shell2,5 time dependent, modal;
frequency domain;
frequency domain, modal;
small-signal analysis,
frequency domain;
eigenfrequency, prestressed;
frequency domain,
prestressed
1
This physics interface is included with the core COMSOL package but has added functionality
for this module.
2 This physics interface is a predefined multiphysics coupling that automatically adds all the

physics interfaces and coupling features required.

3 Requires the addition of the AC/DC Module.
4 Requires the addition of the Structural Mechanics Module.
5 Requires the addition of the Composite Materials Module.
6 Requires the addition of the CFD Module, or the Polymer Flow Module or the Microfluidics

Module.
7 Requires the addition of the Polymer Flow Module.
8 Requires the addition of the Nonlinear Structural Materials Module.

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Tutorial Model: Modeling a Capacitive Pressure Sensor

This tutorial analyzes a hypothetical absolute pressure sensor used as an example

in the book Practical MEMS, by V. Kaajakari (V. Kaajakari, Practical MEMS,
Small Gear Publishing, Las Vegas, pp. 207–209, 2009). Initially the sensitivity of
the device is assessed under ideal operating conditions. Then the effect of
packaging induced stress is analyzed, both in terms of the device sensitivity to
pressure and an induced sensitivity to temperature.
The device geometry is shown in Figure 3. The pressure sensor is part of a silicon
die that has been bonded to a metal plate at 70°C. The COMSOL Multiphysics
model takes advantage of the symmetry in the geometry and models only a single
quadrant of the device.

Figure 3: The model geometry. Left: The symmetric device geometry, with the edges of one quadrant
highlighted in blue, showing the symmetry planes. Right: In COMSOL Multiphysics only the highlighted
quadrant is modeled, and the symmetry boundary condition is used on the cross section walls.

A detailed 2D section through the functional part of the device is shown in

Figure 4. A thin membrane is held at a fixed potential of 1 V. The membrane is
separated from a ground plane by a chamber sealed under high vacuum. The sides
of the chamber are insulating to prevent a connection between the membrane and
the ground plane (for simplicity the insulating layer is not modeled explicitly in
the COMSOL Multiphysics model — this approximation will have little effect on
the results of the study).

26 |
 Membrane, biased Sealed chamber Grounded part
with IV potential of the die

Insulator

Figure 4: Cross section through the device showing the capacitor. The vertical axis has been expanded
to emphasize the gap.

Pressure on the membrane from ambient gas causes the membrane to deflect. The
thickness of the gap now varies across the membrane and its capacitance to ground
therefore changes. This capacitance is then monitored by an interfacing circuit,
such as the switched capacitor amplifier circuit discussed in the case study in
Practical MEMS.
Thermal stresses are induced in the structure as a result of the thermal conductivity
mismatch between the silicon die and the metal plate, and the elevated
temperature used for the bonding process (assumed to be 70°C, compared to an
operating temperature of 20°C). These stresses change the deformation of the
diaphragm in response to applied pressures and alter the response of the sensor. In
addition, since the stresses are temperature dependent, they introduce an
undesired temperature dependence to the device output.
Initially the sensor is analyzed in the case where there are no packaging stresses.
Then the effect of the packaging stress is considered. First, the device response at
fixed temperature is evaluated with the additional packaging stress. Finally the
temperature dependence of the device response at a fixed applied pressure is
assessed.

Model Wizard

Note: These instructions are for the user interface on Windows but apply, with
minor differences, also to Linux and Mac.
1 To start the software, double-click the COMSOL icon on the desktop. When
the software opens, you can choose to use the Model Wizard to create a new

| 27
 COMSOL Multiphysics model or Blank Model to create one manually. For this
tutorial, click the Model Wizard button.
If COMSOL Multiphysics is already open, you can start the Model Wizard by
selecting New from the File menu and then click Model Wizard .
The Model Wizard guides you through the first steps of setting up a model. The
next window lets you select the dimension of the modeling space.
2 In the Select Space Dimension window click the 3D button .
3 In the Select Physics tree, expand the Structural Mechanics node, expand the
Electromagnetics-Structure Interaction subnode, expand the Electromechanics
subnode, then click Electromechanics .
4 Click the Add button, observe that the “Added physics interfaces” pane is
populated with physics interfaces and multiphysics couplings, and then click
Study .
5 In the tree under General Studies, click Stationary .
6 Click Done .

Geometry 1

The geometry is imported from an external file. Since the structure is symmetric,
only a quarter of the physical geometry is required.

Import 1
1 In the Geometry toolbar, click Insert Sequence .
Note: On Linux and Mac, the toolbar refers to the specific set of controls near
the top of the Desktop.
2 Browse to and then open the file
capacitive_pressure_sensor_geom_sequence.mph in the application library
folder MEMS_Module\Sensors.
Note: The location of the application library root folder varies based on your
installation. For example, if the installation is on your hard drive, the file path
might be similar to
C:\Program Files\COMSOL\COMSOL62\Multiphysics\applications\.

3 Click Build All .

4 Click the Zoom Extents button at the top of the Graphics window.

28 |
Global Definitions

Parameters
1 In the Home toolbar click Parameters and choose Parameters 1 .
2 In the Settings window under Parameters, enter the following settings in the
Parameters table:

NAME EXPRESSION DESCRIPTION

p0 20[kPa] Pressure
T0 20[degC] Operating Temperature
Tref 70[degC] Die Bonding Temperature

Note: SI units or their multiples, such as Pa, kPa, and so on, or even some non-SI
units, such as degrees Celsius (as degC), can be enclosed by square brackets to be
entered into the COMSOL Desktop graphical user interface for specifying the
unit of the preceding value. See the section “Using Units” in the COMSOL
Multiphysics Reference Manual for a detailed list of supported units.

| 29
Definitions

Next add a nonlocal coupling to compute a derived global quantity from the
model. These operators can be convenient for postprocessing and for setting up
the model, for example to include integral quantities in the equation system. Here
an average operator is added so that the average displacement of the diaphragm
can be computed and a point integration is used to make available the
displacement of the centerpoint of the diaphragm.

Average 1
1 In the Definitions toolbar click Nonlocal Couplings and choose Average
.
2 In the Settings window for Average locate the Source Selection section. From
the Geometric entity level list, choose Boundary.
3 Select Boundary 12.
Note: There are several methods to select a geometric entity. To select, for
example, a boundary, place the cursor over the boundary in the graphics window.
If the required boundary is not highlighted in red then rotate the scroll wheel of
the mouse until the boundary is highlighted, then click to select it (the up and
down arrow keys can also be used instead of the scroll wheel). Alternatively, click
the Paste Selection button . In the Paste Selection dialog, in the Selection text
field, type 12 (the boundary number) and then click OK. Another method is to
use the Selection list to display a list of the available boundary numbers
(available from the Home> Windows menu if you are using windows, or from
the Windows menu on other platforms). Boundaries are added to the selection
by first clicking on the boundary and then clicking Add to Selection . To add
several boundaries, hold the Ctrl key down when clicking.

Integration 1
1 In the Definitions toolbar click Nonlocal Couplings and choose Integration
.
2 In the Settings window for Integration locate the Source Selection section.
From the Geometric entity level list, choose Point.
3 Select Point 4 only.
Next, define selections to simplify the setup of materials and physics features.

Explicit 1
1 In the Definitions toolbar click Explicit .

30 |
2 Select Domain 3 and 4 only.
3 In the Label text field enter Electrostatics.

Solid Mechanics

Next the physics feature settings are added to the model. These include the
pressure forces acting on the sensor, the applied sense voltage, and other
appropriate boundary conditions.
First choose the domains for the Solid Mechanics interface.
1 In the Model Builder window, under Component 1 (comp1) click Solid
Mechanics (solid) .
2 In the Settings window for Solid Mechanics, locate the Domain Selection
section.
3 From the Selection list, choose Linear Elastic. (This selection is defined in the
Geometry sequence.)
Apply the structural symmetry boundary condition on the symmetry boundaries.

Symmetry 1
1 In the Physics toolbar, click Boundaries and choose Symmetry .
2 In the Settings window for Symmetry locate the Boundary Selection section.
From the Selection list, choose XZ Symmetry Plane.

Symmetry 2
1 In the Physics toolbar, click Boundaries and choose Symmetry .
2 In the Settings window for Symmetry locate the Boundary Selection section.
From the Selection list, choose YZ Symmetry Plane.
Note: The electrical symmetry boundary condition (the Zero Charge feature) is
applied by default.
The motion of the structure is constrained in most directions by the structural
symmetry boundary conditions. However, the whole device can still slide up and
down the z-axis. Apply a point constraint to prevent this.

Prescribed Displacement 1
1 In the Physics toolbar click Points and choose Prescribed Displacement .
2 Select Point 44 only.

| 31
3 In the Settings window for Prescribed Displacement locate the Prescribed
Displacement section. Select the Prescribed in z direction check box, leaving the
input field at the default value of 0.
Apply a boundary load to represent the pressure acting on the top surface of the
diaphragm.

Boundary Load 1
1 In the Physics toolbar click Boundaries and choose Boundary Load .
2 Select Boundary 13 only.
3 In the Settings window for Boundary Load locate the Force section.
- From the Load type list, choose Pressure.
- In the p text field, enter p0.

Definitions

Moving mesh conditions must be applied to the deforming air domain.

Deforming Domain 1
1 In the Model Builder window, expand the Component 1
(comp1)>Definitions>Moving Mesh node , then click Deforming Domain
1 .
2 In the Settings window for Deforming Domain, locate the Domain Selection
section. From the Selection list, choose Cavity. (This selection is also defined in
the Geometry sequence.)

Symmetry 1
1 In the Model Builder window, under the Component 1
(comp1)>Definitions>Moving Mesh node , click Symmetry/Roller 1 .
2 Select Boundaries 7 and 8 only.
This allows the mesh to move in the z direction.

Ele c tr ost a tics

Add terminal and ground features to the model to apply boundary conditions for
the electrostatics parts of the model.

32 |
1 In the Model Builder window, under Component 1 (comp1) click Electrostatics
(es) .
2 In the Settings window for Electrostatics, locate the Domain Selection section.
From the Selection list, choose Electrostatics.
The default Charge Conservation feature is set to use solid material type. Add one
more feature to represent the nonsolid (void) domain.

Charge Conservation 2
1 In the Physics toolbar, click Domains and choose Charge Conservation .
Note that the Material type list has the default choice of Nonsolid. This is
suitable for the sealed domain (the cavity).
2 In the Settings window for Charge Conservation, locate the Domain Selection
section. From the Selection list, choose Cavity.
With the assumption that the silicon membrane is a good conductor, use the
Domain Terminal feature to set a bias voltage on the domain.
Note: The Domain Terminal feature will be very handy for a conducting domain
with a complex shape and many exterior boundaries – instead of selecting all the
boundaries to set up the Ground, Terminal, or Electric Potential boundary
condition, we only need to select the domain to specify the Domain Terminal with
the same effect. In addition, the computation load is reduced, because the
electrostatic degrees of freedom within the Domain Terminal do not need to be
solved for.

Terminal 1
1 In the Physics toolbar click Domains and choose Terminal .
2 Select Domain 4 only.
3 In the Settings window for Terminal, locate the Terminal section. From the
Terminal type list, choose Voltage.
The default value of 1 V is fine in this instance.

Ground 1
1 In the Physics toolbar click Boundaries and choose Ground .
2 Select Boundary 9 only.

Mate rials

The pressure sensor consists of a silicon die with an enclosed cavity. The pressure
sensor is bonded onto a cylindrical steel plate during the packaging process.

| 33
COMSOL Multiphysics includes a Material Library with many predefined material
properties. A predefined material is used for the steel plate, but the silicon is set up
as a user-defined material, as for this model isotropic material parameters are used
to enable direct comparison with the results in Practical MEMS. The cavity also
needs ‘material’ properties (to define the relative permittivity) and a user-defined
material is used to set the relative permittivity to 1 in this region.

Material 1
1 In the Materials toolbar click Blank Material .
2 In the Settings window for Material locate the Material Contents section. In the
table, enter the following settings:

PROPERTY NAME VALUE

Relative permittivity epsilonr… 11.7

Young's modulus E 170[GPa]
Poisson's ratio nu 0.06
Density rho 2330

3 In the Label text field enter Silicon.

By default the first material is applied to all domains. Some of these selections will
be overridden as other materials are added.

Material 2
1 In the Material toolbar click Blank Material .
2 In the Settings window for Material locate the Geometric Entity Selection
section. From the Selection list, choose Cavity.
3 In the Settings window for Material locate the Material Contents section. In the
table, enter the following settings:

PROPERTY NAME VALUE

Relative permittivity epsilonr 1

Set the material to be nonsolid. This is an important step that determines the
behavior of the material in Poisson’s equation when it is compressed. The
dielectric constant of solid materials increases in compression, whilst this does
not occur for nonsolid materials.
4 Click to expand the Material Properties section. From the Material type list
choose Nonsolid.
5 In the Label text field enter Vacuum.

34 |
Steel AISI 4340
1 In the Material toolbar click Add Material .
2 Go to the Add Material window. Click to expand the tree node Built-In; then
select Steel AISI 4340 .
3 Click Add to Component. Then click Add Material in the Material
toolbar to close the Add Material window.
4 In the Model Builder window click Steel AISI 4340 .
5 In the Settings window for Material locate the Geometric Entity Selection
section. From the Selection list, choose Steel Base.

Me sh 1

Next set up a structured mesh to solve the problem on.

Mapped 1
1 In the Model Builder window, under Component 1 (comp1) right-click Mesh
1 and choose Boundary Generator>Mapped .
2 Select Boundaries 3, 16, and 32 only.

Size 1
Set a maximum element size on the sensor diaphragm.
1 Right-click Mapped 1 and choose Size .
2 In the Settings window for Size locate the Element Size section. Click the
Custom button.
3 Locate the Element Size Parameters section. Select the Maximum element size
check box. In the associated text field, enter 50[um].
4 Locate the Geometric Entity Selection section. The boundaries 3, 16, and 32
are preselected. Change the selection to Boundary 3 only by clicking on the
unwanted number and then pressing the Delete key on the keyboard(16, and
then 32).
5 Click the Build All button .
Sweep the surface mesh through the structure.

Swept 1
1 Right-click Mesh 1 and choose Swept .
2 Click Build All .

| 35
Study 1

Set up a study that sweeps over a range of applied pressures, so that the response
of the sensor can be assessed.

Step 1: Stationary
1 In the Model Builder window, expand the Study 1 node , then click Step 1:
Stationary .
2 In the Settings window for Stationary, click to expand the Study Extensions
section. Select the Auxiliary sweep check box.
3 Click Add .
The continuation parameter p0(Pressure) is added by default. This is the
correct parameter to sweep over.
4 Click the Range button . Go to the Range dialog box.
- In the Start text field, enter 0.
- In the Step text field, enter 5000.
- In the Stop text field, enter 25000.
5 Click the Add button.

36 |
6 In the Home toolbar click Compute .

Results

Displacement (solid)
1 In the Model Builder window, under Results click Displacement (solid) .
Much of the structure has essentially zero movement in this initial study. To
facilitate results analysis, add a selection to the solution, so that only the domains
of interest are displayed in the plots.

Datasets
In the Model Builder window, expand the Results>Datasets node , then click
Study 1/Solution 1 (sol1) .

Selection
1 In the Results toolbar, click Attributes and choose Selection .
2 In the Settings window for Selection, locate the Geometric Entity Selection
section. From the Geometric entity level list, choose Domain.
3 From the Selection list, choose Electrostatics.
4 Select the Propagate to lower dimensions check box.

Displacement (solid)
1 In the Model Builder tree click the Displacement (solid) node.

| 37
2 Click the Zoom Extents button at the top of the Graphics window.

The plot now shows the displacement of the diaphragm only, which, as expected,
is maximum in the center of the sensor.
Next, plot the electric potential in an xy-oriented plane between the sensor
diaphragm and the ground plane.

Electric Potential (es)

1 In the Model Builder window, expand the Results>Electric Potential (es)
node , then click Multislice 1 .
2 In the Settings window for Multislice, locate the Multiplane Data section.
- Find the x-planes subsection. In the Planes text field, type 0.
- Find the y-planes subsection. In the Planes text field, type 0.
- Find the z-planes subsection. From the Entry method list, choose
Coordinates.
- In the Coordinates text field, type -0.0023[mm].
3 Click to expand the Range section. Select the Manual color range check box.
- In the Minimum text field, type 0.
- In the Maximum text field, type 1.

38 |
Selection 1
1 Right-click Results>Electric Potential (es)>Multislice 1 and choose
Selection .
2 In the Settings window for Selection, locate the Selection section. From the
Selection list, choose Cavity.
3 On the Electric Potential (es) toolbar, click the Plot button .

Due to the deformation of the diaphragm the potential is nonuniformly

distributed in the plane, which cuts through the cavity at a constant height.
Next, the deformation of the diaphragm is plotted as a function of the pressure
difference across it. Both the average and the maximum displacements are plotted.

1D Plot Group 5
1 In the Home toolbar click Add Plot Group and choose 1D Plot Group .
2 On the 1D Plot Group 5 toolbar click Global .

Global 1
Use the point integration and surface average operators defined earlier to evaluate
the displacement at the midpoint of the membrane and the average displacement.

| 39
1 In the Settings window for Global locate the y-Axis Data section. In the table,
enter the following settings:

EXPRESSION UNIT DESCRIPTION

intop1(w) um Maximum Displacement

aveop1(w) um Average Displacement

1D Plot Group 5
1 In the Model Builder window click 1D Plot Group 5 .
2 In the Settings window for 1D Plot Group 5, click to expand the Title section.
- From the Title type list, choose Manual.
- In the Title text field, enter Diaphragm Displacement.
3 Locate the Plot Settings section.
- Select the x-axis label check box. In the x-axis label text field, enter
Pressure (Pa).
- Select the y-axis label check box. In the y-axis label text field, enter
Displacement (\mu m).
4 Click to expand the Legend section. From the Position list, choose Lower left.
5 In the Label text field enter Diaphragm Displacement vs Pressure.
6 On the Diaphragm Displacement vs Pressure toolbar, click Plot .

40 |
At an applied pressure of 10 kPa the diaphragm displacement in the center is 0.89
m. The average displacement of the diaphragm is 0.27 m. These values are in
good agreement with the approximate model given in Practical MEMS (maximum
displacement 0.93 m, average displacement 0.27 m).
Now plot the sensor capacitance as a function of the applied pressure. If the
switched capacitor amplifier described in Practical MEMS is used to produce the
output, the sensor output or transfer function is directly proportional to the
change in capacitance.

1D Plot Group 6
1 In the Home toolbar, click Add Plot Group and choose 1D Plot Group .
2 On the 1D Plot Group 6 toolbar click Global .
Since the terminal boundary condition was used for the underside of the
diaphragm, COMSOL Multiphysics automatically computes its capacitance
with respect to ground. The value of the capacitance is available as a variable in
result analysis.
3 In the Settings window for Global, click Replace Expression in the
upper-right corner of the y-Axis Data section. From the menu, navigate to
Component 1>Electrostatics>Terminals>es.C11 - Maxwell capacitance - F;
then double click to choose the item.
Next, compare the computed capacitance with the small displacement,
linearized analytic expression derived in Practical MEMS.
4 Locate the y-Axis Data section. In the table, change the unit of the first row to
pF and enter the second row, as shown below:

EXPRESSION UNIT DESCRIPTION

es.C11 pF Capacitance
0.738[pF]*(1+8.87e-6[1/Pa]*p0) pF Linearized Analytic Capacitance

5 In the Model Builder window click 1D Plot Group 6 .

6 In the Settings window for 1D Plot Group locate the Title section.
- From the Title type list, choose Manual.
- In the Title text area, enter Model Capacitance vs Pressure.
7 Locate the Plot Settings section.
- Select the x-axis label check box. In the x-axis label text field, enter
Pressure (Pa).
- Select the y-axis label check box. In the y-axis label text field, enter
Capacitance (pF).
8 Locate the Legend section. From the Position list, choose Upper left.

| 41
9 In the Label text field enter Model Capacitance vs Pressure.
10Click Plot .

The capacitance of the sensor increases with applied pressure. The gradient of the
curve plotted gives a useful measure of the response of the device. At the origin
the response of the model (1/4 of the whole sensor) is 7.310-6 pF/Pa, compared
to the simple analytical response of 6.510-6 pF/Pa. The response for the whole
sensor is therefore 2910-6 pF/Pa compared to the analytic value of 2610-6 pF/
Pa. With the measurement circuit proposed in Practical MEMS this corresponds
to a sensor transfer function of 29 V/Pa for the COMSOL Multiphysics model
and 26 V/Pa for the simple analytic model. The response is nonlinear, so that at
20 kPa the model output is 1410-6 pF/Pa (device output 57 pF/Pa).
Next, add thermal expansion to the model, to assess the effects of packaging
stresses on the device performance.

Solid Mechanics

In the Physics toolbar, click Electrostatics (es) (not the upper part where this
icon shows but the lower part where the text “Electrostatics” shows with a
downward facing black triangle icon) and choose Solid Mechanics (solid) .

42 |
Thermal Expansion 1
1 In the Model Builder window, expand Solid Mechanics (solid) , and then
click Linear Elastic Material 1 . In the Physics toolbar click Attributes
and choose Thermal Expansion .
The model temperature should be set to the previously defined room
temperature parameter, T0.
2 In the Settings window for Thermal Expansion locate the Model Inputs section
to choose the “User defined” option for the Temperature list. In the T text
field, enter T0.
The reference temperature indicates the temperature at which the structure had
no thermal strains. In this case, we set it to the previously defined parameter,
Tref. Tref represents the temperature at which the silicon die was bonded to
the metal carrier plate.
3 Choose the “User defined” option for the Volume reference temperature list.
In the Tref text field, enter Tref.

Mate rials

The user-defined properties added previously for silicon did not include its
thermal expansivity, so this must be added.

Silicon
COMSOL Multiphysics shows a warning in the material properties settings to
indicate a missing property.
1 In the Model Builder window, under Component 1 (comp1)>Materials
click Silicon .
2 In the Settings window for Material locate the Material Contents section.
3 In the table, add a value for the thermal expansion coefficient of silicon to the
appropriate row:

PROPERTY NAME VALUE

Coefficient of thermal expansion alpha… 2.6e-6

Study 2

Add a new study to compute the system response including thermal expansion
effects.

| 43
Add Study
1 In the Home toolbar, click Add Study to open the Add Study window.
2 Go to the Add Study window. In the tree under General Studies, click
Stationary .
3 Click Add Study. Then click Add Study in the Home toolbar to close
the Add Study window.

Step 1: Stationary
1 In the Settings window for Stationary, locate the Study Extensions section.
Select the Auxiliary sweep check box.
2 Click Add .
The continuation parameter p0 (Pressure) is added by default. This is the
correct parameter to sweep over.
3 Click Range . Go to the Range dialog box.
- In the Start text field, enter 0.
- In the Step text field, enter 5000.
- In the Stop text field, enter 25000.
4 Click the Add button.
5 In the Home toolbar click Compute .

Results

Create a mirrored dataset to visualize a cross section of the device.

Datasets
1 In the Results toolbar click More Datasets and choose Mirror 3D .
2 In the Settings window for Mirror 3D locate the Data section. From the Dataset
list, choose Study 2/Solution 2.
3 Leave the plane as the default y-z plane.

Displacement (solid) 1
1 In the Model Builder window, under Results right-click Displacement
(solid) and choose Duplicate .
2 In the Settings window for 3D Plot Group locate the Data section. From the
Dataset list, choose Mirror 3D 1.
3 Click the Plot button .

44 |
Notice that the entire structure now has nonzero movements at room
temperature, as a result of thermal stress.

Now look at the effect of the thermal stress on the response of the sensor.
Add an additional global node to the previously defined plot. This separate node
can point to a different dataset, creating a plot of the displacement of the thermally
stressed device alongside the unstressed plot.

Diaphragm Displacement vs Pressure

1 In the Model Builder window, under Results>Diaphragm Displacement vs
Pressure right-click Global 1 and choose Duplicate .
2 In the Settings window for Global locate the Data section. From the Dataset
list, choose Study 2/Solution 2.
3 Locate the y-Axis Data section. In the table, enter the following settings for the
first row and remove the 2nd row (aveop1):

EXPRESSION UNIT DESCRIPTION

intop1(w) um Maximum Displacement with Package Stress

| 45
4 Click the Plot button .

The maximum displacement of the membrane is now nonzero at zero applied

pressure, as a result of the packaging stress. The gradient of the
displacement-pressure line has also changed.

Model Capacitance vs Pressure

Now add the thermally stressed results to the Capacitance vs Pressure plot.
1 Click on the Model Capacitance vs Pressure node . On the Model
Capacitance vs Pressure toolbar click Global .
2 In the Settings window for Global locate the Data section. From the Dataset
list, choose Study 2/Solution 2.
3 Click Replace Expression in the upper-right corner of the y-Axis Data
section. From the menu, navigate to
Component 1>Electrostatics>Terminals>es.C11 - Maxwell capacitance - F;
then double click to select the item.

46 |
4 Locate the y-Axis Data section. In the table, modify the first row to match the
following settings (Note the unit is changed to pF to match the previous Global
plot):

EXPRESSION UNIT DESCRIPTION

es.C11 pF Capacitance with Package Stress

5 Click the Plot button .

The packaging stress causes a significant change in the response of the device. At
zero applied pressure the sensitivity of the COMSOL Multiphysics model has
increased to 1010-6 pF/Pa (4010-6 pF/Pa for the entire device). Compare to
the unstressed value of 7.3e-6 pF/Pa (2910-6 pF/Pa for the entire device). The
effect is even more pronounced at a pressure of 20 kPa, where the model that
includes thermal stresses shows a pressure sensitivity of 2510-6 pF/Pa (100 pF/
Pa for the entire device), compared to the unstressed pressure sensitivity of
1410-6 pF/Pa (sensor output 57 pF/Pa).
It may be possible to calibrate the device to remove the effect of the packaging
strains. However, the addition of the thermal stresses to the system has created an
additional issue, since the response of the sensor has now become temperature
dependent - due to the temperature sensitivity of the thermal strains. This effect is
assessed in the final study.

| 47
Study 3

Add Study
1 In the Home toolbar, click the Add Study button to open the Add study
window.
2 Go to the Add Study window. In the tree, under General Studies select
Stationary .
3 Click Add Study. Then click the Add Study in the toolbar again to close
the Add study window.

Step 1: Stationary
1 In the Model Builder window under Study 3, click Step 1: Stationary .
2 In the Settings window for Stationary locate the Study Extensions section.
Select the Auxiliary sweep check box.
Sweep over operating temperature at constant applied pressure, to assess the
temperature sensitivity of the device.
3 Click Add .
4 In the list in the first table cell, select the parameter T0 (Operating
Temperature):

PARAMETER NAME

T0

5 Click Range . Go to the Range dialog box.

- In the Start text field, enter 290.
- In the Step text field, enter 5.
- In the Stop text field, enter 300.
6 Click the Add button.
For this study, disable the default plots as these will be similar to those already
generated by study 2.
7 In the Model Builder window, click Study 3 .
8 In the Settings window for Study locate the Study Settings section. Clear the
Generate default plots check box.
9 Click Compute .

48 |
Results

Add a plot to show how the sensor response varies with temperature. The response
is computed at an applied pressure set by the value of the parameter p0, defined as
20 kPa.

1D Plot Group 11
1 In the Home toolbar, click Add Plot Group and choose 1D Plot Group .
2 In the Settings window for 1D Plot Group locate the Data section. From the
Dataset list, choose Study 3/Solution 3.
3 On the 1D Plot Group 11 toolbar click Global .
4 In the Settings window for Global click Replace Expression in the
upper-right corner of the y-Axis Data section. From the menu, navigate to
Component 1>Electrostatics>Terminals>es.C11 - Maxwell capacitance - F;
then double click to select it.
5 Locate the y-Axis Data section. In the table, modify the first row to match the
following settings:

EXPRESSION UNIT DESCRIPTION

es.C11 pF Capacitance

6 In the Model Builder click 1D Plot Group 11 .

7 In the Settings window for 1D Plot Group locate the Title section.
- From the Title type list, choose Manual.
- In the Title text area, enter Model Capacitance vs Operating Temperature.
8 Locate the Plot Settings section.
- Select the x-axis label check box. In the associated text field, enter Operating
Temperature (K).
9 In the Label text field enter Capacitance vs Operating Temperature.

| 49
10Click Plot .

At a pressure of 20 kPa the temperature sensitivity of the model is given by the

gradient of this curve, approximately 3.510-3 pF/K (1410-3 pF/K for the
whole device). Given the pressure sensitivity of 2510-6 pF/Pa at 20 kPa (for a
single quadrant of the device) this corresponds to equivalent pressure of 140 Pa/
K in the sensor output. Compared to the noise floor of the measuring circuit
proposed in Practical MEMS (0.6 Pa) this number is very large. This model
shows that a naive choice of packaging can have a highly detrimental effect on
sensor performance.

50 |