Ultrasensitive liquid sensor based on an embedded microchannel bulk acoustic wave resonator

Abstract The high-frequency and high-quality factor characteristics of bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonators have significantly advanced their application in sensing technologies. In this work, a fluidic sensor based on a BAW resonator structure is fabricated and investigated. Embedded microchannels are formed beneath the active area of the BAW device without the need for external processes. As liquid flows through the microchannel, pressure is exerted on the upper wall (piezoelectric film) of the microchannel, which causes a shift in the resonant frequency. Using density functional theory, we revealed the intrinsic mechanism by which piezoelectric film deformation influences BAW resonator performance. Theoretically, the upwardly convex piezoelectric film caused by liquid flow can increase the resonant frequency. The experimental results obtained with ethanol solutions of different concentrations reveal that the sensor, which operates at a high resonant frequency of 2.225 GHz, achieves a remarkable sensitivity of 5.1 MHz/% (221 ppm/%), with an ultrahigh linearity of 0.995. This study reveals the intrinsic mechanism of liquid sensing based on BAW resonators, highlights the potential of AlN/Al0.8Sc0.2N composite film BAW resonators in liquid sensing applications and offers insights for future research and development in this field.