Rapid System Identification of Linear MEMS Resonators Using Brief Single Harmonic Excitation

Extracting effective system parameters of electrostatic resonators usually requires time-consuming frequency sweeps or analysis of ring-down response after the system has been driven to steady-state [1][2]. The system parameters often include resonance frequency, quality factor, steady-state amplitude, effective mass, and stiffness [3]. In this work, we present a novel method for extracting all these parameters by using a brief single-harmonic start up signal and anlyzing the first few hundred transient cycles, well before steady-state is reached. We experimentally validated this novel characterization method by testing electrostatic MEMS resonators.