Lamb waves propagation along 3C-SiC/AlN membranes for application in temperature-compensated, high-sensitivity gravimetric sensors.

The propagation of the fundamental quasi-symmetric Lamb mode S(0) travelling along 3C-SiC/c-AlN composite plates is theoretically studied with respect to the AlN and SiC film thickness, the acoustic wave propagation direction and the electrical boundary conditions. The temperature effects on the phase velocity have been considered for four AlN/SiC-based electroacoustic coupling configurations, specifically addressing the design of temperature-compensated, enhanced-coupling, GHz-range electroacoustic devices. The gravimetric sensitivity and resolution of the four temperature-stable SiC/AlN composite structures are theoretically investigated with respect to both the AlN and SiC sensing surface. The SiC/AlN-based sensor performances are compared to those of surface acoustic waves and Lamb S(0) mode mass sensors implemented on bulk conventional piezoelectric materials and on thin suspended membranes.