Abstract
A vibrating angular rate sensor with tuning fork type resonator of microstructure (940*820 .mu. m$^{2}$) was designed and will be fabricated by polysilicon surface micromaching. The angular rate sensor is driven in a lateral direction by electrostatic force of comb drive electrodes, and vertical vibrations of the sensor, thich is detected capacitively, are produced by Coriolis forces due to an external angular rate. Mechanical Q factors and a difference between the frequencies of the two resonant modes, the driving mode and detecting mode, play a great role in increasing the sensitivity of the sensor. To be a highly sensitive sensor, it was designed to have as small frequency discrepancy of the two resonant modes as possible. Finite element method was used for the modal analysis. Several design parameters were selected and their contributions to the modal frequencies were investigated. A method was presented for tuning the detecting mode frequency by DC bias on the drive electrodes.