Micro Coriolis mass flow sensor driven by integrated PZT thin film actuators

We have realized a micro Coriolis mass flow sensor that is actuated by integrated lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thin film actuators, allowing low voltage, low power actuation compared to current actuation methods. The integrated PZT thin film actuators are deposited on top of silicon-rich silicon nitride (SiRN) fluidic microchannels by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). In this paper we present the fabrication process and first characterization results, including a mass flow measurement with nitrogen flow using a Polytec MSA-400 laser Doppler vibrometer to detect the Coriolis induced motion of the sensor tube. The measurement results confirm that the sensor output is proportional to mass flow up to 14 mg/min