Vibration of piezoelectric nanofilm-based electromechanical sensors via higher-order non-local strain gradient theory

Abstract

A higher-order non-local strain gradient plate model developed for the vibration of piezoelectric nanofilms (PNFs) as nanoelectromechanical mass sensors is presented. The PNF carrying multiple nanoparticles at any locations is subjected to thermo-electro-mechanical loads. Size effects are taken into consideration by introducing three different scale parameters. Using higher-order non-local elasticity, strain gradient theory and Hamilton's principle, the differential equations of motion are derived. Closed-form solutions are obtained for the natural frequencies and frequency shifts of the PNF-based sensor. It is found that the frequency shifts of PNFs can increase or decrease depending on the values of small-scale parameters. The present results would be helpful for designing micro/nano sensors using PNFs.