Study on Thermally Tuned Asymmetrical Coupled Resonator and its Gas Sensing Application

This research investigates the performance of asymmetrical microelectromechanical system (MEMS) coupled resonators through thermal tuning and their application in gas sensing. An observed 2: 1 internal resonance corresponding to the fundamental bending modes (166kHz and 83kHz, experimentally) can be manipulated via thermal tuning. Additionally, torsional modes at 2.6 MHz were thermally tuned using a conventional actuation pad, exhibiting relatively high-Q factors (800–1200) in air, which can be varied with thermal tuning. Utilizing the thermal tuning of internal resonance, a Helium gas sensing application has been successfully demonstrated. The results indicate exceptional sensitivity, with detection thresholds of 500 ppm for the first trigger and 250,000 ppm for the second, showcasing significant potential for applications in gas detection and temperature sensing.