Abstract: A MEMS temperature sensor including a clamped-clamped microbeam having a drive electrode on one side configured for applying an AC current, and a sense electrode diagonally situated on the other side, a first anchor at one end and a second anchor at the other end of the microbeam. The first anchor receive a DC bias currents, which heats the microbeam to an operating temperature. The sense electrode is configured to capacitively sense oscillations in the microbeam due to an applied AC current. The MEMS temperature sensor has a three wafer construction in which the components are formed. The device is encapsulated by aluminum, and metal wires connect the first and second anchor, the drive electrode and the sense electrode to side electrode pads outside of the encapsulation. The MEMS temperature sensor has a linear operating region of 30-60 degrees Celsius.

Abstract: A combined vapor and/or gas concentration sensor and switch includes a resonating structure, a first alternating current, AC, voltage source coupled to a drive electrode, the first AC voltage source providing the resonating structure with a first voltage having an amplitude causing a first vibration mode of the resonating structure to exhibit a pull-in band and having a first frequency response adjacent to the pull-in band, where the first frequency response is nonlinear, a second AC voltage source coupled to the drive electrode and providing a second voltage having a frequency so that a second frequency response of the resonant structure, adjacent to a third vibration mode, is linear, and a read-out circuit coupled configured to determine a vapor and/or gas concentration based on a difference between (1) the frequency of the second voltage and (2) a frequency obtained by the read-out circuit from the resonating structure.

Abstract: A vapor and/or gas concentration and temperature sensor includes a resonating structure having a first side with a functionalized surface and a second side opposite the first side, a first resonant frequency of a first vibration mode, and a second resonating frequency of a second vibration mode. Drive and sensing electrodes face the second side of the resonating structure. A direct current bias source is coupled to the resonating structure. A first AC voltage source provides the resonating structure with a first voltage having a frequency corresponding to the first resonant frequency. A second AC voltage source provides the resonating structure with a second voltage having a frequency corresponding to the second resonant frequency.

Abstract: A vapor and/or gas concentration and temperature sensor includes a resonating structure having a first side with a functionalized surface and a second side opposite the first side, a first resonant frequency of a first vibration mode, and a second resonating frequency of a second vibration mode. Drive and sensing electrodes face the second side of the resonating structure. A direct current bias source is coupled to the resonating structure. A first AC voltage source provides the resonating structure with a first voltage having a frequency corresponding to the first resonant frequency. A second AC voltage source provides the resonating structure with a second voltage having a frequency corresponding to the second resonant frequency.

Abstract: A combined vapor and/or gas concentration sensor and switch includes a resonating structure having a first side with a functionalized surface and a second side opposite the first side, a first resonant frequency of a first vibration mode, and a third resonant frequency of a third vibration mode. A direct current bias source is coupled to the resonating structure. A first AC voltage source is coupled to the drive electrode and provides the resonating structure, via the drive electrode, with a first voltage having an amplitude causing the first vibration mode of the resonating structure to exhibit a pull-in band and having a frequency adjacent the pull-in band of the first mode. A second AC voltage source is coupled to the drive electrode and provides the resonating structure, via the drive electrode, with a second voltage having a frequency corresponding to the third resonant frequency.

Abstract: A sensing method includes operating a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) microbeam device; measuring structural vibrations of the MEMS microbeam device over time; selecting an operational frequency foperating that is applied to the MEMS microbeam device, where the operational frequency foperating is different from a jump frequency fJump of the MEMS microbeam device, and the MEMS microbeam device is characterized by a frequency response curve that has a linear part and a softening or hardening part, and the operational frequency foperating is selected to be in the linear part; conducting an analysis of the structural vibrations of the MEMS microbeam device based on a linear equation that relates an amplitude of the structural vibrations to a frequency from the linear part; and detecting a frequency difference between the operational frequency foperating and the jump frequency fJump of the MEMS microbeam device based on the linear equation.

Abstract: Sensors and active switches for applications in gas detection and other fields are described. The devices are based on the softening and hardening nonlinear response behaviors of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) clamped-clamped microbeams. In that context, embodiments of gas-triggered MEMS microbeam sensors and switches are described. The microbeam devices can be coated with a Metal-Organic Framework to achieve high sensitivity. For gas sensing, an amplitude-based tracking algorithm can be used to quantify an amount of gas captured by the devices according to frequency shift. Noise analysis is also conducted according to the embodiments, which shows that the microbeam devices have high stability against thermal noise. The microbeam devices are also suitable for the generation of binary sensing information for alarming, for example.