Enhancement of Synchronization in Nonlinear MEMS Oscillator Based on Electrothermal Adjustment
Journal
Journal of Applied Mechanics
Journal Volume
92
Journal Issue
4
Start Page
041007
ISSN
00218936
Date Issued
2025-04-01
Author(s)
Abstract
Synchronization in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) typically encounters the impact of electrothermal phenomena, often in conjunction with piezoresistive detection or frequency tuning. However, the electrothermal effects on synchronization have not been previously explored. This paper investigates the electrothermal effects on synchronization bandwidth and frequency stability in a nonlinear MEMS arch oscillator. Experimental results demonstrate a non-monotonic pattern in synchronization bandwidth as electrothermal current increases, corroborated by theoretical models based on quality factors and equivalent nonlinearity. Drawing from theoretical analysis, which suggests that synchronization can be enhanced by adjusting feedback and perturbation strength, we achieved a 5.72-fold enhancement in synchronization bandwidth in our experiments. Furthermore, we observed that increased electrothermal significantly improves frequency stability. We developed a model based on the Allan deviation that incorporates electrothermal temperature to evaluate frequency stability, and this model successfully verified our experimental results. These experimental and theoretical findings highlight the potential of electrothermal effects to enhance synchronization and frequency stability in MEMS devices, paving the way for more robust sensor technology applications.
Subjects
electrothermal effect
MEMS
micromechanics
nonlinear dynamics
synchronization
vibration
Publisher
American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
Type
journal article