Frequency stability of PZE actuated suspended micro-channel resonators

Nanoelectromechanical (NEMS) resonators have shown outstanding performance in mass sensing and heavy filtering applications due to their exceptional sensitivities and high quality factors. Examples of applications range from biomolecules/gas detection to extremely selective filters in RF circuits. In this seminar the principle of operation and microfabrication of resonant NEMS will be discussed, with particular attention to piezoelectrically actuated resonators. We will address the problem of electronic detection in these devices, becoming more challenging with downscaling since stray reactances start to impair the signal analysis; the effect of such parasitics is a coherent background appearing in the readout. Strategies for background cancellation will be evaluated in this presentation.