This paper reports a novel MEMS gas flow sensor that relies on the temperature drop induced when the gas flows over an electrically heated MEMS triple-beam resonator. Modelling, simulation and characterization of the sensor has been undertaken to quantify the temperature-induced shift of resonance frequency of the resonator, which can be directly related to the rate of gas flow over the heated resonator. The MEMS resonator was actuated into mechanical resonance through application of an AC voltage to an aluminum nitride (AlN) piezoelectric layer coated on the central beam of the triple-beam resonator. A reversible change in resonance frequency was measured experimentally for nitrogen flow rates up to 5000 ml/min. At 5 V operating voltage the linear response fit measured from experiments yielded a 67 ml/min per Hz slope over a flow rate range from 0 ml/min to 4000 ml/min.

中文翻译：

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基于热感应悬臂梁谐振频移的 MEMS 气体流量传感器


本文报道了一种新型 MEMS 气体流量传感器，该传感器依赖于气体流过电加热 MEMS 三梁谐振器时引起的温降。对传感器进行建模、仿真和表征，以量化温度引起的谐振器谐振频率的变化，该变化可能与加热谐振器上的气流速率直接相关。通过将交流电压施加到涂覆在三梁谐振器中心梁上的氮化铝（AlN）压电层上，MEMS谐振器被驱动进入机械谐振。当氮气流速高达 5000 毫升/分钟时，通过实验测量了共振频率的可逆变化。在 5 V 工作电压下，实验测量的线性响应拟合在 0 ml/min 至 4000 ml/min 的流速范围内产生每 Hz 67 ml/min 的斜率。