Sensitivity Analysis of Different Models of Piezoresistive Micro Pressure Sensors

S. Meenatchisundaram[1], S. M. Kulkarni[2], S. Bhat
[1]Department of Instrumentation and Control Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal, Karnataka, India.
[2]Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Surathkal, Karnataka, India.
Published in 2013

Piezoresistive pressure sensors have received much attention over the years because of low cost, simple measurement techniques, etc. There is a challenge in design with respect to appropriate positioning, shape and temperature compensation. Different models of piezoresistive pressure sensors are proposed to enhance its sensitivity in terms of output voltage. This paper aims in sensitivity analysis of various models proposed in research papers. The Acoustics Module of COMSOL Multiphysics® is used to make a comparative study. All sensors used in this paper consist of a membrane, on which the pressure is applied and a surrounding fixed frame. The sensitivity and output voltage of each model are measured and compared. The merits and drawbacks are discussed as a result of the paper.