Gas Damping in Capacitive MEMS Transducers in the Free Molecular Flow Regime

We present a novel analysis of gas damping in capacitive MEMS transducers that is based on a simple analytical model, assisted by Monte-Carlo simulations performed in Molflow+ to obtain an estimate for the geometry dependent gas diffusion time. This combination provides results with minimal computational expense and through freely available software, as well as insight into how the gas damping depends on the transducer geometry in the molecular flow regime. The results can be used to predict damping for arbitrary gas mixtures. The analysis was verified by experimental results for both air and helium atmospheres and matches these data to within 15% over a wide range of pressures.

Automated summary

This study presents a novel analysis of gas damping in capacitive MEMS transducers using a simple analytical model combined with Monte-Carlo simulations to estimate gas diffusion time. The results, obtained through freely available software, offer insights into the relationship between gas damping and transducer geometry in molecular flow regime. Experimental verification shows that the analysis matches data from air and helium atmospheres within 15% over a wide pressure range.