  Magnetoelastic composites are integral elements of sensors and actuators
utilizing magnetostriction for their functionality. Their sensitivity typically
scales with the saturation magnetostriction and inversely with magnetic
anisotropy. However, this makes the devices prone to minuscule residual
anisotropic stress from the fabrication process, impairing their performance
and reproducibility, hence limiting their suitability for arrays. This study
presents a shadow mask deposition technology combined with a free-free
magnetoelectric microresonator design intended to minimize residual stress and
inhomogeneity in the magnetoelastic layer. Resonators are experimentally and
theoretically analyzed regarding local stress anisotropy, magnetic anisotropy,
and the {\Delta}E effect in several resonance modes. Further, the sensitivity
is analyzed in the example of {\Delta}E-effect sensors. The results demonstrate
a device-to-device variation of the resonance frequency < 0.2 % with
sensitivities comparable with macroscopic {\Delta}E-effect sensors. The
reproducibility is drastically improved over previous magnetoelastic device
arrays. This development marks a step forward in the reproducibility and
homogeneity of magnetoelastic resonators and contributes to the feasibility of
large-scale, integrated sensor arrays.
