On the Impact of Thermal Drift on the Performance of Resonant MEMS Electric Field Mill Operating in High-Order Modes and Subject to Duffing Nonlinearity

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) electric field sensors (MEFS) are widely used in industrial production, power grid monitoring, and thunderstorm warning systems. However, temperature fluctuations commonly encountered in these environments can significantly affect the zero-field output (ZEOP), sensitivity, and resolution of such sensors, thereby limiting their practical performance. This paper investigates the impact of thermal drift on the performance of a resonant MEMS electric field mill (MEFM) operating in high-order modes and subject to Duffing nonlinearity. The main performance indicators, including ZEOP, sensitivity, and resolution, are characterized in both linear and nonlinear regimes over a temperature range from −40 °C to 40 °C. Experimental results show that the second mode operating in the nonlinear regime achieves enhanced sensitivity and resolution, with a sensitivity drift of 4.9 × 10³ ppm/°C. In contrast, the third mode operating in the linear regime demonstrates superior zero-field stability, with a drift of −0.073 (kV/m)/°C.