We report on the resonant operation of high-quality-factor silicon nanomechanical structures in air and at room temperature. We describe techniques used to actuate and detect nanomechanical structures in atmosphere, resulting in the enhancement of the effective quality factor to above 1000 and demonstrate the potential for successful sensor operation of resonant nanomechanical structures under ambient conditions.

1.
C-M.
Ho
and
Y-C.
Tai
,
Annu. Rev. Fluid Mech.
30
,
579
(
1998
).
Google Scholar
 
2.
B. H.
Houston
,
D. M.
Photiadis
,
M. H.
Marcus
,
J. A.
Bucaro
,
X.
Liu
, and
J. F.
Vignola
,
Appl. Phys. Lett.
80
,
1300
(
2002
);
Google Scholar
 
R.
Lifshitz
and
M. L.
Roukes
,
Phys. Rev. B
61
,
5600
(
2000
).
Google Scholar
 
3.
J.
Yang
,
T.
Ono
, and
M.
Esashi
,
Appl. Phys. Lett.
77
,
3860
(
2000
).
Google Scholar
 
4.
B.
Ilic
,
D.
Czaplewski
,
M.
Zalalutdinov
,
H. G.
Craighead
,
P.
Neuzil
,
C.
Campagnolo
, and
C.
Batt
,
J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B
19
,
2825
(
2001
).
Google Scholar
 
5.
H. J.
Mamin
and
D.
Rugar
,
Appl. Phys. Lett.
79
,
3358
(
2001
).
Google Scholar
 
6.
L.
Sekaric
,
M.
Zalalutdinov
,
S. W.
Turner
,
A.
Zehnder
,
J. M.
Parpia
, and
H. G.
Craighead
,
Appl. Phys. Lett.
80
,
3617
(
2002
).
Google Scholar
 
7.
R. A.
Buser
and
N. F.
de Rooij
,
Sens. Actuators A
21–23
,
323
(
1990
);
Google Scholar
 
C. T.-C. Nguyen, Proceedings, 1995 IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium, Seattle, Washington, 1995, p. 489.
8.
K. Y.
Yasumura
,
T. D.
Stowe
,
E. M.
Chow
,
T. E.
Pfafman
,
T. W.
Kenny
,
B. C.
Stipe
, and
D.
Rugar
,
J. Microelectromech. Syst.
9
,
117
(
2000
).
Google Scholar
 
9.
D. W.
Carr
,
S.
Evoy
,
L.
Sekaric
,
H. G.
Craighead
, and
J. M.
Parpia
,
Appl. Phys. Lett.
75
,
920
(
1999
).
Google Scholar
 
10.
M.
Zalalutdinov
,
A.
Olkhovets
,
A.
Zehnder
,
B.
Ilic
,
D.
Czaplewski
,
H. G.
Craighead
, and
J. M.
Parpia
,
Appl. Phys. Lett.
78
,
3142
(
2001
);
Google Scholar
 
M.
Zalalutdinov
,
A.
Zehnder
,
A.
Olkhovets
,
S.
Turner
,
L.
Sekaric
,
B.
Ilic
,
D.
Czaplewski
,
J. M.
Parpia
, and
H. G.
Craighead
,
Appl. Phys. Lett.
79
,
695
(
2001
).
Google Scholar
 
11.
D. W.
Carr
,
L.
Sekaric
, and
H. G.
Craighead
,
J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B
16
,
3821
(
1998
);
Google Scholar
 
S.
Evoy
,
D. W.
Carr
,
L.
Sekaric
,
A.
Olkhovets
,
J. M.
Parpia
, and
H. G.
Craighead
,
J. Appl. Phys.
86
,
6072
(
1999
).
Google Scholar
 
12.
D. A.
Harrington
,
P.
Mohanty
, and
M. L.
Roukes
,
Physica B
284–288
,
2145
(
2000
).
Google Scholar
 
13.
F. P. Incropera and D. P. DeWitt, Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transfer, 4th ed. (Wiley, New York, 1996), pp. 486–490.
14.
D. W.
Carr
,
S.
Evoy
,
L.
Sekaric
,
H. G.
Craighead
, and
J. M.
Parpia
,
Appl. Phys. Lett.
77
,
1545
(
2000
).
Google Scholar
 
This content is only available via PDF.
© 2002 American Institute of Physics.
2002
American Institute of Physics
You do not currently have access to this content.