Tapered silicon nanowires for enhanced nanomechanical sensing

We investigate the effect of controllably induced tapering on the resonant vibrations and sensing performance of silicon nanowires. Simple analytical expressions for the resonance frequencies of the first two flexural modes as a function of the tapering degree are presented. Experimental measurements of the resonance frequencies of singly clamped nanowires are compared with the theory. Our model is valid for any nanostructure with tapered geometry, and it predicts a reduction beyond two orders of magnitude of the mass detection limit for conical resonators as compared to uniform beams with the same length and diameter at the clamp. (C) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.