A new quartz monolithic differential Vibrating Beam Accelerometer

This paper deals with a new monolithic differential quartz Vibrating Beam Accelerometers (VBA), called VIA(SC). The concept of this accelerometer includes the three major insulation requirements of the beams in the same quartz monolithic structure: insulation of the beams against thermal stresses, insulation of the beam vibrations and insulation between the two beams. In this paper, the concept of this accelerometer and its manufacturing process by chemical etching are presented. Preliminary results, which confirm the relevance of the VIA(SC) concept, are given and future work on the sensing element is discussed. Two VIA(SC) developments are envisaged: an accurate VIA(SC) version compatible with inertial navigation requirements and a miniaturized version adapted to guidance applications.