Quality Factors of MEMS Plate Modes in Fluids

Abstract:
The prediction of quality factors of MEMS plate resonators immersed in fluids requires new methods since most existing methods are based on Euler-Bernoulli beam theory. Here, we present a novel numerical method for computing the spectral response of MEMS plate resonators in fluids. We model the plate as a thin Kirchhoff plate and use a non-conformal finite element method to solve the equation of motion which includes the fluid-structure interaction with a viscous fluid. We investigate the convergence behavior of the proposed method and present numerical examples for MEMS beam and plate resonators in water.