Energy transfer model for squeeze-film air damping in low vacuum

Abstract

High quality factors are essential for vibratory microsensors. Therefore, the vibrating structure of the sensors is often encapsulated in a housing where the air is evacuated for reduced air damping. However, the vacuum is usually low and the quality factor is still mainly determined by the energy losses to the surrounding air molecules. Air damping in low vacuum is usually estimated using the free molecular model proposed by Christian (Christian R 1966 Vacuum 16 175–8). The major drawback of the model is that the effect of the nearby objects (e.g. the electrodes for electrostatic driving) and the dimensions of the plate cannot be considered. Therefore, the damping effect is often significantly underestimated for real structures.