Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Design and fabrication of an electrostatically suspended microgyroscope using UV-LIGA technology

  • Technical Paper
  • Published:
Microsystem Technologies Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A micromachined electrostatically suspended gyroscope, with a wheel-like rotor housed by top stator and bottom stator, using UV-LIGA microfabrication technology, was presented. The designed structure and basic operating principle of the gyroscope are described. The key steps in the fabrication process, such as wet etching of Pyrex glass pits for soldering, and integration of thick nickel structures by removal of SU-8 mold, were considered in detail and well solved. Cr/Pt/photoresist was used as etching mask and the etched pits, in depth of near 30 μm, with aspect ratio (depth to undercutting) of 0.75, were obtained. With metal foundations constructed for consolidation, successful integration of the nickel structures, in thickness of 200 μm, was achieved by successful removal of the SU-8 mold using oleum. After the two stators and the rotor were fabricated separately, they were assembled and soldering bonded to form axial and radial small gaps, hence, the initial prototype of the microgyroscope was realized. The key techniques described in this paper can be applied to fabrication of other micro devices. The metal foundation method, associated with removal of SU-8 mold by oleum, is expected to make SU-8 wider applications in making integrated microstructures with fabricated circuitry on the same chip.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bachmann D, Hierold C (2008) Determination of the pull-off forces and pull-off dynamics of an electrostatically actuated silicon disk. J Microelectromech Syst 17:643–652. doi:10.1109/JMEMS.2008.918396

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Charles DE, Bogdan MW (2008) Fabrication and control of an electrostatically levitated rotating gyro. In: Proceedings of SPIE, Orlando, USA, 6959: 69590Q-1-10. doi:10.1117/12.783861

  • Cui F, Chen W Y, Su Y F, Zhang W P, Zhao X L (2004) Design of electrostatically levitated micromachined rotational gyroscope based on UV-LIGA technology. In: Proceedings of SPIE, Beijing, China, 5641: 264-275. doi: 10.1117/12.575632

  • Cui F, Chen WY, Zhao XL, Jing XM, Wu XS (2006) Metal foundation construction to consolidate electroplated structures for successful removal of SU-8 mould. Electron Lett 42:690–691. doi:10.1049/el:20060751

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cui F, Xiao QJ, Wu XS, Zhang WP, Chen WY (2008) Wet etching pits of Pyrex glass for metallization. J Funct Mater Devices 14:236–240 in Chinese

    Google Scholar 

  • Damrongsak B, Kraft M, Rajgopal S, Mehregany M (2008) Design and fabrication of a micromachined electrostatically suspended gyroscope. Proc IMechE Part C: J Mech Eng Sci 222:53–63. doi:10.1243/09544062JMES665

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dentigenger PM, Clift WM, Goods SH (2002) Removal of SU-8 photoresist for thick applications. Microelectron Eng 61–62:993–1000. doi:10.1016/S0167-9317(02)00490-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ho CH, Hsu W (2004) Experimental investigation of an embedded root method for stripping SU-8 photoresist in the UV-LIGA process. J Micromech Microeng 14:356–364. doi:10.1088/0960-1317/14/3/007

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Houlihan R, Kraft M (2002) Modeling of an accelerometer based on a levitated proof mass. J Micromech Microeng 12:493–503. doi:10.1088/0960-1317/12/4/325

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Iliescu C, Miao J, Tay FEH (2005) Stress control in masking layers for deep wet micromachining of Pyrex glass. Sens Actuators A 117:286–292. doi:10.1016/j.sna.2004.03.004

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kraft M, Farooqui MM, Evans AGR (2001) Modelling and design of an electrostatically levitated disk for inertial sensing applications. J Micromech Microeng 11:423–427. doi:10.1088/0960-1317/11/4/324

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kukharenka E, Farooqui MM, Grigore L, Kraft M, Hollinshead N (2003) Electroplating moulds using dry film thick negative photoresist. J Micromech Microeng 13:S67–74. doi:10.1088/0960-1317/13/4/311

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu J, Cai B, Zhu J, Ding G, Zhao X, Yang C, Chen D (2004) Process research of high aspect ratio microstructure using SU-8 resist. Microsyst Technol 10:265–268. doi:10.1007/s00542-002-0242-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lorenz H, Despont M, Renaud P (1998) High-aspect-ratio, ultrathick, negative-tone near-UV photoresist and its applications for MEMS. Sens Actuators A 64:33–39. doi:10.1016/S0924-4247(02)00018-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mourzina Y, Steffen A, Offenhausser A (2005) The evaporated metal masks for chemical glass etching for BioMEMS. Microsyst technol 11:135–140. doi:10.1007/s00542-004-0430-3

    Google Scholar 

  • Murakoshi T, Fukatsu K, Nakamura S, Esashi M (2003) Electrostatically levitated ring-shaped rotational gyro/accelerometer. Jpn J Appl Phys 42(Pt. 1):2468–2472. doi:10.1143/JJAP.42.2468

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nakamura S, Tochigi Y (2005) MEMS inertial sensor toward higher accuracy & multi-axis sensing. In: 4th IEEE conference on sensors, Irvine, USA, pp 939-942. doi:10.1109/ICSENS.2005.1597855

  • Titterton DH, Weston JL (2004) Strapdown Inertial Navigation Technology, 2nd edn. IEE and AIAA, Cornwall

    Google Scholar 

  • Torti R, Gondhalekar V, Tran H, Selfors B, Bart S, Maxwell B (1994) Electrostatically suspended and sensed micromechanical rate gyroscope. In: Proceedings of SPIE, Orlando, USA, 2220: 27–38. doi:10.1117/12.179613

  • Xiao QJ, Li SY, Chen WY, Cui F, Zhang WP (2009) Fuzzy tuning PI control for initial levitation of micromachined electrostatically levitated gyroscope. Electron Lett 45:818–819. doi:10.1049/el.2009.0874

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Research Fund of Key Lab of China (Grant No. 9140C7903080807), New Teacher Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (Grant No. 200802481026) and the Non-Silicon Precision Micromachining & Microfabrication Technology (D2320060098).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory for Thin Film and Microfabrication Technology of Ministry of Education, National Key Laboratory of Nano/Micro Fabrication Technology, Research Institute of Micro/Nano Science and Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China

    Feng Cui, Wenyuan Chen, Weiping Zhang, Qijun Xiao, Gaoyin Ma & Wu Liu

Authors
  1. Feng Cui
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Wenyuan Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Weiping Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Qijun Xiao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Gaoyin Ma
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Wu Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wenyuan Chen.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cui, F., Chen, W., Zhang, W. et al. Design and fabrication of an electrostatically suspended microgyroscope using UV-LIGA technology. Microsyst Technol 15, 1885–1896 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-009-0924-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-009-0924-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation