On-chip Micromechanical Parametric Resonator Based on the Piezoelectricity in GaAs/AlGaAs Modulation-Doped Heterostructure

Piezoelectricity has been playing an important role in recent micro- and nano-electromechanical devices, where it makes possible a highly efficient transaction between mechanical motion and electric signals. Compound semiconductors are known as piezoelectric materials and highly functional micro- and nano-electromechanical devices can therefore be integrated with electronic and optical devices. We have fabricated micro-electromechanical parametric resonators based on the piezoelectricity in GaAs/AlGaAs modulation-doped heterostructures. Three important electromechanical operations - the actuation and the detection of mechanical motion, as well as the resonant frequency modulation - have all been successfully achieved on chip using a piezoelectricity for the first time. In addition, the so-called parametric resonance, which has been shown to have benefits, such like signal amplification and force-sensitivity improvement, was also shown to be electrically excited using the functionality of resonant frequency modulation.