
249Mechanical Nanosensors
for high sensitivity, requires pushing against the ultimate resolution lim-
its of lithography and nanofabrication processes. Flexural (a curve, turn, or
fold) mechanical resonance frequencies for beams directly depend upon
the ratio (E/ρ). The ratio of Young’s modulus, E, to mass density, ρ, for SiC
is drastically higher than for other commonly used semiconducting mate-
rials for electromechanical devices, e.g., Si and GaAs. SiC, given its larger
(E/ρ), yields devices that operate at tremendously higher frequencies for a
given geometry, than otherwise possible using conventional materials. (ii)
For NEMS the