Frequency Response of Nanoelectromechanical Cantilevers Operating in Fluid

Abstract

Abstract-Nano-electro-mechanical resonators used for sensing, data storage, and nano-fabrication applications are often operated as feed-back control systems. To determine the transfer function of silicon cantilevers with a width of 5.0 μm, a thickness of 800 nm, and lengths of 10, 15, 30, and 45 μm, the damping in air and liquid was simulated numerically using an integrated fluidstructure solver.Bode diagrams and Nyquist plots of the cantilever transfer function indicate that the resonator will behave as a heavily damped system in liquid, and a lightly damped system in air. After experimental validation, ths computational method is expected to allow prediction of frequency response prior to fabrication of NEMS resonators.