Graphene-Aluminum Nitride NEMS Resonator

A false-colored SEM image of a Graphene-Aluminum Nitride NEMS resonator. A freestanding aluminum nitride (AlN) nanoplate (the central rectangular green plate), released from the underlying silicon substrate, is supported mechanically at two ends. A bottom metal interdigitated electrode (shown in dark gray underneath the AlN nanoplate), connected to the two electrical terminals of the device, and a top electrically floating graphene electrode (the gray rectangular area on top of AlN nanoplate), are employed for the piezoelectric actuation and sensing of a high frequency lateral-extensional mode of vibration in the nanoplate. The zoomed-in views highlight the boundary of the patterned graphene electrode on the anchor region of the device and the honeycomb lattice of the atomically thin and virtually massless graphene electrode.