Modeling and simulation of capacitive nanoelectromechanical pressure sensors based on suspended graphene membranes

TY - JOUR

T1 - Modeling and simulation of capacitive nanoelectromechanical pressure sensors based on suspended graphene membranes

AU - Liu, Quan

AU - Zhang, Zhe

AU - Si, Fangcheng

AU - Ding, Jie

AU - Zhange, Wendong

AU - Fan, Xuge

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2026 IOP Publishing Ltd. All rights, including for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies, are reserved.

PY - 2026/3/1

Y1 - 2026/3/1

N2 - Graphene exhibits extraordinary mechanical and electrical properties, making it an ideal candidate for next-generation capacitive pressure sensors. However, the complex nonlinear coupling between structural parameters and sensor performance remains poorly understood, hindering rational device design. Here, we develop a coupled electromechanical finite element framework to explicitly quantify the trade-offs between sensitivity, linearity, and dynamic range. Simulation results reveal that increasing the membrane radius significantly enhances sensitivity but introduces higher nonlinearity. Conversely, higher built-in tension improves linearity at the cost of reduced sensitivity. Additionally, while increasing the number of atomic layers reduces deflection due to increased stiffness, this effect diminishes under high built-in tension. Crucially, the initial electrode gap determines the operational window: a 30 nm gap yields a high normalized sensitivity of 1.05 × 10−5 fF/(Pa · μm2) for low-pressure detection, whereas a 120 nm gap extends the measuring range to 5 kPa but reduces sensitivity by approximately 63%. These findings establish a quantitative lookup table for optimizing graphene NEMS sensors, providing critical design guidelines for balancing sensitivity and linearity in diverse applications.

AB - Graphene exhibits extraordinary mechanical and electrical properties, making it an ideal candidate for next-generation capacitive pressure sensors. However, the complex nonlinear coupling between structural parameters and sensor performance remains poorly understood, hindering rational device design. Here, we develop a coupled electromechanical finite element framework to explicitly quantify the trade-offs between sensitivity, linearity, and dynamic range. Simulation results reveal that increasing the membrane radius significantly enhances sensitivity but introduces higher nonlinearity. Conversely, higher built-in tension improves linearity at the cost of reduced sensitivity. Additionally, while increasing the number of atomic layers reduces deflection due to increased stiffness, this effect diminishes under high built-in tension. Crucially, the initial electrode gap determines the operational window: a 30 nm gap yields a high normalized sensitivity of 1.05 × 10−5 fF/(Pa · μm2) for low-pressure detection, whereas a 120 nm gap extends the measuring range to 5 kPa but reduces sensitivity by approximately 63%. These findings establish a quantitative lookup table for optimizing graphene NEMS sensors, providing critical design guidelines for balancing sensitivity and linearity in diverse applications.

KW - NEMS

KW - capacitive

KW - finite element simulation

KW - graphene

KW - pressure sensor

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105033656821

U2 - 10.1088/1361-6439/ae4ef8

DO - 10.1088/1361-6439/ae4ef8

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:105033656821

SN - 0960-1317

VL - 36

JO - Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering

JF - Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering

IS - 3

M1 - 035007

ER -