Probing anchor losses in AlN-on-Si contour mode MEMS resonators through laser Doppler vibrometry

We present the novel application of high frequency laser Doppler vibrometry to measure the underlying mechanism leading to anchor loss that now limits the quality factor of low impedance contour mode aluminum nitride (AlN) on silicon resonators. We applied the technique to two resonators designed to have largely different quality factors (2100 vs. 12000) in order to correlate the findings from laser vibrometer measurements to anchor loss. We show that the vibrometer measurements are in close harmony with findings from finite element analysis. These results allow us to move beyond pure simulations in the course of analyzing anchor losses in AlN-on-Si contour mode resonators.