Investigation on resonance effects of closely resonating nano-pillars attached to SAW resonator

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors form an important class of micro sensors in the microelecto mechanical systems (MEMS) family. Mass loading effect of a sensing medium is one of the prime sensing principles in SAW sensors. Recently we reported mass loading effect of high aspect ratio nano-pillars attached to a SAW resonator. We observed increase in resonance frequency of the SAW resonator in addition to the general mass loading characteristics. We concluded that when the resonance frequency of the pillar is equal to the SAW resonator frequency, the resonance frequency shift caused by mass loading of pillar tends to a negligible value. When such resonating pillars are used as sensing medium in SAW sensors, even a very small change in the dimension of the pillar will offer significant resonance frequency shift. Accordingly, high sensitive SAW sensors can be developed. However in practice it?s quite difficult to manufacture nano-pillars with accurate dimensions such that they resonate with SAW resonator. There is more probability that the pillars may closely resonate with SAW device and offer mass loading. In the present work we have extended our earlier work and performed finite element method (FEM) simulation to study the insight physics of the closely resonating pillars and their effects on acoustic wave propagating on SAW substrate. In this paper we present the discussion on the resonance effects of typical closely resonating pillars on resonance frequency spectrum of the SAW resonator and observations in the pressure wave at the contact surface of the pillar and SAW resonator substrate. It is observed that when the nano-pillars closely resonate with SAW resonator, the pillar oscillations combine with waves propagating in the substrate and introduce beat frequencies. The results and discussion of this paper adds additional information in designing SAW based coupled resonating systems.