SGER: Design and Optimization of High Frequency Silicon Capacitive Resonators for High-Q Operation in Liquid Media

Congratulations to Dr. Siavash Pourkamali on his successful acquisition of a grant for Exploratory Research: Design and Optimization of High Frequency Silicon Capacitive Resonators for High-Q Operation in the amount is $51,800 for one year.

Abstract: Despite recent developments in the silicon resonator technologies and speculations on the suitability of such devices as high-precision mass sensors, no viable design or architecture for practical sensory applications has been demonstrated for such devices. In particular, operation of capacitive micro-resonators in liquid with an acceptably high quality factor remains an open problem. This effort will develop and demonstrate new design concepts and fabrication approaches for minimization of viscous damping caused by the surrounding liquid. The proposed partially encapsulated resonators will be designed, fabricated, and characterized in aqueous liquid media.