Multi-Dimensional MEMS/Micro Sensor for Force and Moment Sensing: A Review

The importance of force sensing technologies was recognized in the 1970s. Since then, multidimensional micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS)/micro force/moment (F/M) sensors have permeated a wide variety of products. A multidimensional MEMS/micro-F/M sensor can measure the tangential force terms along x-, y-, and z-axis (F-x, F-y and F-z) as well as the moments terms about x-, y-, and z-axis (M-x, M-y and M-z) simultaneously with micro-Newton and nano-Newtonmeter resolution. This paper presents an overview of MEMS/micro-F/M sensors. This field is critical to many biomedical applications, materials science, industrial automation, dimension measurements in microcomponents, and nanomanufacturing applications, and has attracted great activity in the past 15-25 years. The evaluation of different F/M sensing principles, recent advances in various designs, and their significance and limitations are analyzed through specific examples. Furthermore, current challenges and new area for future applications of micro-F/M sensing technology have been identified.