MILEPOST · MEMS IMU for long-term position stability and high precision rate monitoring

Sensors for motion tracking are used in a broad variety of contexts: Image stabilisation in cameras, automotive applications like drive control or precise airbag deployment, and even for recording the movements of a person in sports, physiotherapy or cinematographic character animation. The sensing principle is the detection of acceleration and rotation rate by inertial forces that act on a suspended static or vibrating proof mass. To address low cost markets, micromachining technologies produce thousands of these sensor structures - so-called MEMS (Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems) - on a 200 mm silicon wafer.An ""Inertial Measurement Unit"" (IMU) is formed through integration of electronic signal conditioning and sensor elements in a single device that is capable to measure motion in several degrees of freedom. The MILEPOST project targets to extend the accessible markets by a systematic improvement of the long-term stability of IMUs with respect to the electronics and MEMS design and process. The final project goal is to demonstrate a monolithic cluster for sensing threedimensional acceleration and angular velocity.The participating three SMEs provide in-depth system design and integration experience on automotive inertial sensors (SensorDynamics, AT), a broad application background (Xsens, NL), and detailed knowledge about MEMS manufacturing (MEMS Foundry Itzehoe, DE). Their research partners are Fraunhofer Institute for Silicon Technology (DE) and Consorzio Pisa Ricerche (IT).Considering the ever falling price per function in electronic products, the companies expect that they will not be able to compensate turnaround loss by higher productivity in their current activity fields. Systematic research along the whole value creation chain of complex integrated IMUs is therefore a vital need for the SMEs to gain new business opportunities.""