Title :
Ultra-thin-film AlN contour-mode resonators for sensing applications
Author :
Rinaldi, Matteo ; Zuniga, Chiara ; Piazza, Gianluca
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Electr. & Syst. Eng., Univ. of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Abstract :
This paper reports on the design and experimental verification of a new class of ultra-thin-film (250 nm) aluminum nitride (AlN) microelectromechanical system (MEMS) contour-mode resonators (CMRs) suitable for the fabrication of ultra sensitive gravimetric sensors. The device thickness was opportunely scaled in order to increase the mass sensitivity, while keeping a constant frequency of operation. In this first demonstration the resonance frequency of the device was set to 178 MHz and a mass sensitivity as high as 38.96 KHz·¿m2/fg was attained. This device demonstrates the unique capability of the CMR technology to decouple resonance frequency from mass sensitivity.
Keywords :
aluminium compounds; crystal resonators; gravimeters; micromechanical resonators; piezoelectric thin films; thin film devices; AlN; CMR technology; aluminum nitride MEMS CMR; device resonance frequency; device thickness; frequency 178 MHz; mass sensitivity; microelectromechanical system; sensing applications; ultrasensitive gravimetric sensors; ultrathin film AlN contour mode resonators; Chemical sensors; Fabrication; Film bulk acoustic resonators; Gas detectors; Micromechanical devices; Resonance; Resonant frequency; Sensor arrays; Silicon; Substrates; AlN contour-mode resonators; gravimetric sensors; sensitivity; ultra-thin-film AlN;
Conference_Titel :
Ultrasonics Symposium (IUS), 2009 IEEE International
Conference_Location :
Rome
Print_ISBN :
978-1-4244-4389-5
Electronic_ISBN :
1948-5719
DOI :
10.1109/ULTSYM.2009.5441939
