A numerical simulation for the stress effect in flexural micro/nano electromechanical resonators

Mustafa Yilmaz, Mohammad Nasr Esfahani, Mahmut Bicer, B. Erdem Alaca*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Resonance frequencies and quality factors of micro/nano electromechanical resonators are known to differ significantly from target values in the presence of intrinsic stresses. This stress effect is modeled for a two-port system with electrostatic actuation and capacitive read-out. A methodology is proposed to compute equivalent electrical parameters for a double-clamped beam resonator under stress. The model is verified with finite element analysis, and a number of case studies are conducted in addition. Increase in resonance frequency with increasing intrinsic tensile stress is observed under mechanical and electrical effects, while a deterioration of quality factor is evident in cases with pronounced parasitic effects. Related challenges associated with the transition to the nanoscale are computationally captured. Finally, a short formulation is provided with relevant error margins for the direct estimation of equivalent circuit parameters. The proposed approach serves as a useful tool for layout design, where all involved dimensions are considered in addition to operational variables such as bias voltage and unloaded quality factor.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)4399-4407
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of Computational and Theoretical Nanoscience
Volume12
Issue number11
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Nov 2015

Keywords

  • Capacitive read-out
  • Intrinsic stress
  • Micro/nano electromechanical resonators
  • Parasitic capacitance

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