Vibration analysis of microscale plates based on modified couple stress theory

A non-classical Kirchhoff plate model is developed for the dynamic analysis of microscale plates based on the modified couple stress theory in which an internal material length scale parameter is included. Unlike the classical Kirchhoff plate model, the newly developed model can capture the size effect of microscale plates. Two boundary value problems of rectangular micro-plates are solved and the size effect on the lowest two natural frequencies is investigated. It is shown that the natural frequencies of the microscale plates predicted by the current model are size-dependent when the plate thickness is comparable to the material length scale parameter.