Modeling and Design Enhancement of Differential-Frequency Microgyroscopes Made of Nanocrystalline Material

The performance of a microgyroscope consisting of a microbeam made of nanocrystalline silicon connected to a rigid proof mass and subjected to electric actuation is numerically investigated. The operating principle is based on the transfer of mechanical energy among two vibration modes (drive and sense) via the Coriolis effect. The onset of the base rotation is observed to split the common natural frequency of the two bending modes along drive and sense directions into a pair of closely-spaced natural frequencies. The difference between this pair of frequencies is considered as the output parameter detecting the rotation rate. We follow an analytical approach to obtain closed-form solutions of the static and dynamic responses of the microsystem. Furthermore, we perform a sensitivity analysis of the output parameter of the present microgyroscope to the rotation rate when varying the material properties of the microbeam and the electric actuation.