Fabrication of Si3N4-Based Artificial Basilar Membrane with ZnO Nanopillar Using MEMS Process

Abstract

This paper presents the fabrication of Si3N4-based artificial basilar membrane (ABM) with ZnO nanopillar array. Structure of ABMs is composed of the logarithmically varying membrane fabricated by MEMS process and piezonanopillar array grown on the Si3N4-based membrane by hydrothermal method. We fabricate the bottom substrate containing Si3N4-based membrane for inducing the resonant motions from the sound wave and the top substrates of electrodes for acquiring electric signals. In addition, the bonding process of the top and bottom substrate is performed to build ABM device. Depending on sound wave input of the specific frequency, specific location of the ABM produces a resonant behavior. Then a local deformation of the piezonanopillar array produces an electric signal between top and bottom electrode. As experimental results of the fabricated ABM, the measured resonant frequencies are 2.34 kHz, 3.97 kHz, and 8.80 kHz and the produced electrical voltages on each resonant frequency are 794 nV, 398 nV, and 89 nV. Thus, this fabricated ABM device shows the possibility of being a biomimetic acoustic device.