Origami-like folded mems for realization of TIMU: fabrication technology and initial demonstration

Abstract

This paper reports a prototype of miniature, <;50 mm3, Timing and Inertial Measurement Unit (TIMU), implemented utilizing a Folded MEMS concept. The approach is based on a wafer-level fabrication of high aspect ratio single-axis sensors, interconnected by flexible polyimide hinges, and then folded into a 3-D configuration, typically in a shape of cube or prism. Co-fabricated thru-wafer interconnects enable interfacing sensors on the device side of the TIMU with signal conditioning electronics potentially integrated inside a folded 3-D structure. We report a TIMU prototype with all 7 sensors operational, thus demonstrating a feasibility of the proposed fabrication approach. In this paper, we emphasize the characterization of the low-noise accelerometers, implemented on the TIMU sidewalls, demonstrating VRW of 0.057 m=s2= p h and bias instability of <;0.2 mg.