Electrostatically actuated polymer microresonators

Microresonators with a conductive polymer blend as the structural layer are fabricated using surface micromachining on glass substrates. A fabrication process using an aluminum sacrificial layer is developed that allows the preservation of the electrical conductivity of the polymer structural layer. The electromechanical properties of the all-polymer microbridges at high frequency are studied using electrostatic actuation and optical detection. The resonance frequency of the polymer bridges is in the MHz range and is affected by the tensile stress present in the structure. The Young’s modulus of the polymer structural material and the stress of the bridge are 3 GPa and 6 MPa, respectively. Quality factors are of the order of 100 in vacuum, decreasing with the measurement pressure for values above 1 Torr due to air damping.