Electromechanical resonators based on h-BN graphene heterostructures

The exceptional robustness, stability, ultra-low weight, and high tunability are some of the most intriguing attributes of 2D atomically thin crystals like graphene, MoS₂ to name a few. These remarkable properties make them promising candidates for a new generation of nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS). Many microelectromechanical (MEMS) sensors used today employ two or more layers of different materials; however, the area of 2D heterostructure based NEMS has not been explored much. In this study, we discuss the fabrication and characterization of circular heterostructure resonators based on hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) and graphene stacks. The stacks are electrically actuated and measured using the vector network analyzer (VNA) from room temperature down to cryogenic temperatures. h-BN graphene provides a flat and clean interface and resonators are tunable with gate voltage. The temperature dependence of strain induced in resonators of different thicknesses will be discussed.