Simulation of NEMS transducers based on suspended h-BN/graphene heterostructure with an attached proof mass

Nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) accelerometers based on graphene can be substantially downscaled to a few tens of squares of micrometers in size while having high sensitivities, which benefit from outstanding mechanical and electrical properties and atomic layer thickness of graphene. However, the unencapsulated graphene-based device is easily contaminated by dirt and interfered with moisture, gas, or sunshine in the atmosphere environment. Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is 98% similar to the hexagonal carbon network in graphene, which has been demonstrated as an excellent encapsulation material for sensing films. Here, we designed, modeled, and simulated NEMS transducers based on suspended 2D h-BN/graphene heterostructure with an attached proof mass using the finite element method. We analyzed the mechanical characteristics, including displacement, strain, and resonance frequency of suspended h-BN/graphene heterostructure with an attached proof mass. The results show that the geometrical size and residual stress of suspended h-BN/monolayer graphene heterostructure and applied force significantly impact the performance of designed transducers. This work contributed to the understanding of 2D heterostructures-based transducers and helped to design and manufacture 2D NEMS accelerometers.