Piezoelectrically transduced silicon carbide MEMS double-clamped beam resonators

Abstract

Silicon carbide (SiC) double-clamped beam (bridge) microelectromechanical system flexural vertical resonant devices actuated piezoelectrically and sensed piezoelectrically have been fabricated and tested. Lead zirconium titanate has been used as active material to implement the piezoelectric actuator and sensor. The transmission frequency response measurements have shown that the devices with the SiC beam length between 100 μm and 200 μm resonate in the frequency range of 0.8–1.9 MHz. The tuning of the resonant frequency has been demonstrated by applying DC bias voltage in the range of 0–5 V and frequency tuning range of 2500 ppm has been achieved. The resonant frequency tuning range has been shown to increase when the lengths of the actuating electrode and the beam are increased. The untuned devices have been shown to possess good linear behavior, while the presence of a tuning DC bias voltage can exceed the maximum power handling capabilities of a device.