Efficient electrothermal actuation of multiple modes of high-frequency nanoelectromechanical resonators

The authors observed resonances from multiple vibrational modes of individual silicon-carbide-based nanomechanical resonators, covering a broad frequency range from several megahertz to over a gigahertz. The devices are actuated thermoelastically in vacuum at room temperature using localized Joule heating in a device-integrated metal loop. Their motion is detected piezoresistively using signal downmixing in a similarly integrated metal piezoresistor. The frequencies and amplitudes of the observed resonant peaks are in good agreement with the results from theoretical modeling and finite-element simulations. (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics.