Vibrating beam accelerometer

An apparatus for detecting an applied force comprising:

• a substrate comprising a semiconducting material and defining a frame;
• an active layer of semiconducting material comprising one or more vibratory force transducers mechanically coupled to the frame for detecting a force applied thereto;
• and
• an epitaxial insulating layer formed between the substrate and the active layer to insulate at least a portion of the vibratory transducers from the substrate, wherein said insulating layer provides both electrical and mechanical insulation between said substrate and said active layer wherein the substrate further comprises a proof mass suspended from the frame by one or more flexures, the vibratory force transducers being coupled to the proof mass and the frame for detecting a force applied to the proof mass, the one or more vibratory force transducers comprise first and second parallel beams each having a first end portion fixed to the proof mass, a second end portion fixed to the instrument frame and a resonating portion therebetween, and first and second electrodes positioned adjacent to and laterally spaced from the first and second beams, and the beams each have one or more fingers extending laterally outward from the beams the electrodes each comprising one or more fingers protecting laterally inward toward the beams and intermeshed with the beam fingers.