Micromachined Silicon Seismic Transducers,
Abstract
Batch-fabricated silicon seismic transducers could revolutionize the discipline of CTBT monitoring by providing inexpensive, easily deployable sensor arrays. Although our goal is to fabricate seismic sensors that provide the same performance level as the current state-of-the-art 'macro' systems, if necessary one could deploy a larger number of these small sensors at closer proximity to the location being monitored in order to compensate for lower performance. We have chosen a modified pendulum design and are manufacturing prototypes in two different silicon micromachining fabrication technologies. The first set of prototypes, fabricated in our advanced surface-micromachining technology, are currently being packaged for testing in servo circuits - we anticipate that these devices, which have masses in the 1-10 ug range, will resolve sub-mG signals. Concurrently, we are developing a novel mold micromachining technology that promises to make proof masses in the 1-10 micro g range possible - our calculations indicate that devices made in this new technology will resolve down to at least sub-micro G signals, and may even approach the 10(exp -10) G/Hz acceleration levels found in the low-earth noise model
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 14, 1995
- Accession Number
- ADP204489
Entities
People
- Carole C. Barron
- David L. Armour
- James G. Fleming
- Jeffry J. Sniegowski
- R. P. Fleming
Organizations
- Sandia National Laboratories