NU 2004-054

Inventors

Horacio D Espinosa*

Changhong Ke

Nicolaie A Moldovan

Short Description

A novel feedback controlled bi-stable nano-cantilever as logic switches and sensing device

Abstract

A novel nano-electromechanical system (NEMS) is developed at Northwestern, which has bi-stable states to enable the proximity sensing/probing, on/off logic switch and other various applications. Due to the interesting structural characteristic and nano-scale feature size, NEMS is promising for superior electronic components and sensors. Northwestern's NEMS bi-stable device is based on a nano-cantilever using carbon nanotube (CNT) or silicon nanowire (NW) material structure. With voltage applied, it can achieve the two equilibrium positions for functions (the pull-in and the pull-out configurations). This NEMS device is applicable to a wide range of applications including gap sensing devices, scanning probe microscope, ultrasonic wave detector, logic devices, nano-scale switches, random-access memory elements, electron counters, and bio-sensors.

Applications

• NEMS switch, random access memory elements and logic nano-devices
• Scanning probe microscope, gap sensor and ultrasonic wave detection
• Bio-sensor

Advantages

• Nano-scale structure size
• Feedback controlled
• Easy integration to current microelectronics technology
• Wide applicability

Publications

Changhong Ke and Horacio D. Espinosa, 'In Situ Electron Microscopy Electromechanical Characterization of a Bistable NEMS Device', Small, 2006, 2.12:1484-1489, DOI: 10.1002/smll.200600271

Changhong Ke and Horacio D. Espinosa (2004) 'Feedback Controlled Nanocantilever Device', Applied Physics Letters, 85.4.

IP Status

Issued US patent No. 7,612,424