There is an increasing demand to build highly sensitive, low-G, microscale acceleration sensors with the ability to sense
accelerations in the nano-G (10-8 m/s2) regime. To achieve such sensitivities, these sensors require compliant mechanical
springs attached to large masses. The high sensitivities and the difficulty in integrating robust mechanical stops into
these designs make these parts inherently weak, lacking the robustness to survive even the low level accelerations
encountered in standard handling, from release processing, where supporting interlayers present during fabrication are
etched away, through packaging. Thus, the process of transforming a MEMS-based acceleration sensor from an
unreleased state to a protected functional state poses significant challenges. We summarize prior experiences with
packaging such devices and report on recent work in packaging and protecting a highly sensitive acceleration sensor that
optically senses displacement through the use of sub-wavelength nanogratings. We find that successful implementation
of such sensors requires starting with a clean and robust MEMS design, performing careful and controlled release
processing, and designing and executing a robust handling and packaging solution that keeps a fragile MEMS device
protected at all times.
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