High-K thin films for simultaneous dielectric actuation and detection of M/NEMS flexural vibration

We show for the first time that a nanometer-scale dielectric thin film can be used as an efficient electromechanical transducer to simultaneously actuate and detect the flexural vibration of micro/nanoresonators. In this study, the first flexural vibrating mode of 16 μm long, and 350 nm-thick cantilevers are actuated by a 15 nm-thick silicon nitride layer, and detected close to resonance, at megahertz frequencies. We also measure optically its displacement, and extract and compare the transducer efficiency to an analytical model. This work would be further strengthened by the use of high-K dielectric materials obtained by atomic layer deposition.