Compared with other types of pressure sensors, the silicon resonant pressure sensor has the following advantages:
High Precision: It measures pressure based on the vibration principle of the resonator. The magnitude of the measured pressure is calculated by measuring the change in the vibration frequency of the resonator. This measurement method has an extremely high resolution and can meet various high-precision measurement requirements. For example, in the aerospace field, for the air pressure measurement of aircraft, the silicon resonant pressure sensor can provide more accurate data to ensure flight safety.
High Stability: Silicon material itself possesses high elasticity and high stability. Moreover, the diaphragm and resonator of the sensor are fabricated on the same single-crystal silicon wafer, so there will be no problems such as hysteresis, creep, and drift at the connection points. Consequently, measurement results with good stability and excellent repeatability can be obtained. For example, in industrial automated production, on a production line that operates stably for a long period of time, the silicon resonant pressure sensor can continuously and stably provide accurate pressure data, ensuring the consistency of the production process and the stability of product quality.
Strong Anti-interference Ability: The output of the silicon resonant pressure sensor is a frequency signal. Compared with the analog signals output by other types of sensors, frequency signals have stronger anti-interference ability and are not easily affected by external factors such as electromagnetic interference, temperature changes, and humidity changes. It can still accurately measure pressure in complex electromagnetic environments or harsh natural environments.
Low Temperature Influence: Silicon, like quartz crystal, has excellent elasticity and approximately the same temperature coefficient characteristics. Its temperature stability is better than 10⁻⁶/℃, and its time stability is higher than 10⁻⁶/year. Within a relatively wide temperature range, the performance change of the sensor is extremely small and almost negligible. Therefore, it can maintain high-precision measurement in both high and low temperature environments.
Low Power Consumption: The internal structure is simple with no mechanical moving parts, which significantly reduces power consumption. This is of great significance for some portable devices powered by batteries or systems with strict requirements on power consumption, as it can effectively extend the working time of the devices.
Small Size and Light Weight: By utilizing micro-nano manufacturing techniques, the sensor can be made compact and lightweight. It is easy to be integrated into various miniaturized and lightweight devices and systems, such as wearable medical devices and micro aerial vehicles. It will not have a significant impact on the overall performance and portability of the devices. Meanwhile, it also facilitates large-scale production and cost reduction.
Good Dynamic Characteristics: It has a small heat capacity and can quickly respond to changes in pressure. It exhibits excellent performance in measuring dynamic pressures such as pulsating pressure and rapidly changing pressure. It can accurately capture the changes in pressure in real time and is widely used in aspects such as measuring the pressure of the intake manifold of automobile engines and monitoring the dynamic pressure of hydraulic systems.
Wide Measurement Range: By means of adjusting manufacturing processes and other methods, its measurement range can be flexibly adjusted according to specific application requirements. It can meet the measurement needs from tiny pressures to relatively large pressures, with a wide range of applications. It is applicable whether measuring low air pressures or high-pressure hydraulic systems.