Progress in Tunnel Sensors

For several years, research has been underway on the use of electron tunneling as a displacement transducer in microsensors. Several prototype devices have been developed which illustrate the potential advantages of tunneling transducers. In this report, we focus on recent measurements of noise and drift which indicate that tunneling transducers can perform very well over long periods. In addition, we report on recent tunnel sensor development efforts, including a MCNC-based test device, an integrated controller for tunneling transducers, and a high-performance tunneling seismometer based on a modified geophone.