SGER: Aluminum Nitride Piezoelectric NanoElectroMechanical Resonators: Feasibility Study for 10GHz RF Applications

Gianluca Piazza该SGER提案的目的是首次展示基于纳米级（100- 500 nm）压电氮化铝薄膜的纳米机电（NEM）谐振器，其工作频率范围（10 GHz）以前从未展示过高Q机械元件。研究将集中在通过控制功率、压力和温度来优化AlN的溅射沉积工艺。 金属薄膜的电子和机械性能将在纳米尺度上进行研究，以产生高度取向，无针孔和低电阻率的纳米电极。COMSOL有限元软件将被用于纳米谐振器的设计，并确定基本的几何参数，可用于制造无杂散和低阻抗devices.Intellectual优点：通过促进科学研究在nanopiezoelectrics和专注于NEM系统的可靠性，这项工作将刺激使用NEM压电器件的应用范围非常广泛。 这项研究的成果将在射频无线通信、化学传感、成像、力传感和计算方面提供显着的性能改进。 这项研究将解决纳米技术中的一个基本问题，即需要能够在纳米和宏观世界之间提供直接和芯片上链接的传感器。 此外，纳米级压电谐振器的引入将在微波通信、计算和传感等几个领域产生直接影响。高频操作将使任何谐振传感器的灵敏度增加3个数量级以上。在同一时间较低的驱动电压（5- 10倍）和功耗（10- 100倍）将实现更小的电场，需要激发在nanoscale压电效应。更广泛的影响：PI计划将这项研究的结果，在他的讲座ESE/MEAM 529：？RF MEMS/NEMS？。这门课程在三个不同的工程系教授。PI将在宾夕法尼亚大学的NanoDay期间与高中生，本科生，高中教师和公众接触，并在当地高中（Mariana Bracetti Academy）提供纳米技术讲座。PI还计划在夏季的几个月里让1名本科生参与这个项目。这种参与的机制将利用宾夕法尼亚大学？最聪明的计划。

Gianluca Piazza The objective of this SGER proposal is to demonstrate for the first time NanoElectroMechanical (NEM) resonators based on nanoscale (100-500nm) piezoelectric aluminum nitride films operating at a frequency range (10GHz) in which no high Q mechanical element has ever been demonstrated before. Research will focus on optimizing the sputtering deposition process for AlN by controlling power, pressure and temperature. Electronic and mechanical properties of metal films will be studied at the nanoscale in order to yield highly oriented, pin-hole free and low resistivity nanoelectrodes. COMSOL finite element software will be employed for the design of nanoscale resonators and identify the fundamental geometrical parameters available to fabricate spurious free and low impedance devices.Intellectual Merit:By promoting scientific research in nanopiezoelectrics and focusing on NEM system reliability, this work will stimulate the use of NEM piezoelectric devices for a very broad range of applications. The outcome of this research will provide significant performance improvements in RF wireless communications, chemical sensing, imaging, force sensing, and computing. The research will tackle a fundamental problem in nanotechnology related to the need of transducers capable of providing a direct and on-chip link between the nano and the macro world. Also, the introduction of nanoscale piezoelectric resonators will have a direct impact in several areas such as microwave communications, computing and sensing. The high frequency of operation will increase the sensitivity of any resonant sensor by more than 3 orders of magnitude. At the same time lower actuation voltages (5-10x) and power consumption (10-100x) will be achieved as smaller electric fields are required to excite the piezoelectric effect at the nanoscale.Broader Impact:The PI plans to include the results of this research in his lectures of ESE/MEAM 529: ?RF MEMS/NEMS?. This course is taught in three different engineering departments. The PI will engage with high school students, undergraduates, high school teachers and the general public during the NanoDay at Penn and by offering lectures on nanotechnologies at a local high school (Mariana Bracetti Academy). The PI also plans to involve 1 undergraduate student in this project during the summer months. The mechanisms for this involvement will leverage the UPenn?s SUNFEST program.