Review: Electrostatically actuated nanobeam-based nanoelectromechanical switches – materials solutions and operational conditions

Funding Information: This work was supported by the Latvian Council of Science (project No. 549/2012) and the University of Latvia project No. AAP2016/B043 and No. ZD2010/AZ19. Publisher Copyright: © 2018 Jasulaneca et al.; licensee Beilstein-Institut. License and terms: see end of document.This review summarizes relevant research in the field of electrostatically actuated nanobeam-based nanoelectromechanical (NEM) switches. The main switch architectures and structural elements are briefly described and compared. Investigation methods that allow for exploring coupled electromechanical interactions as well as studies of mechanically or electrically induced effects are covered. An examination of the complex nanocontact behaviour during various stages of the switching cycle is provided. The choice of the switching element and the electrode is addressed from the materials perspective, detailing the benefits and drawbacks for each. An overview of experimentally demonstrated NEM switching devices is provided, and together with their operational parameters, the reliability issues and impact of the operating environment are discussed. Finally, the most common NEM switch failure modes and the physical mechanisms behind them are reviewed and solutions proposed.publishersversionPeer reviewe

Application of Ge nanowire for two-input bistable nanoelectromechanical switch

Recently, several research groups presented bistable two-terminal nanoelectromechanical switches based on individual single-clamped active element. All presented devices had one input electrode. Similar devices having two or more input electrodes have not been yet investigated. In this work we present the two-input bistable controlled nanoelectromechanical switch based on an individual single-clamped Ge nanowire. The switch is realised using in-situ SEM technique and operating due to balancing of electrostatic, adhesion and elastic forces. The operation conditions of the device are investigated and presented. The advantages and drawbacks of the device are discussed.publishersversionPeer reviewe

Fabrication and Characterization of Double- and Single-Clamped CuO Nanowire Based Nanoelectromechanical Switches

Funding Information: This research was funded by the European Regional Development Fund (project no. 1.1.1.1/16/A/256, ?Creation of nanoelectromechanical switches?). Publisher Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.Electrostatically actuated nanoelectromechanical (NEM) switches hold promise for operation with sharply defined ON/OFF states, high ON/OFF current ratio, low OFF state power consumption, and a compact design. The present challenge for the development of nanoelectromechanical system (NEMS) technology is fabrication of single nanowire based NEM switches. In this work, we demonstrate the first application of CuO nanowires as NEM switch active elements. We develop bottom-up and top-down approaches for NEM switch fabrication, such as CuO nanowire synthesis, lithography, etching, dielectrophoretic alignment of nanowires on electrodes, and nanomanipulations for building devices that are suitable for scalable production. Theoretical modelling finds the device geometry that is necessary for volatile switching. The modelling results are validated by constructing gateless double-clamped and single-clamped devices on-chip that show robust and repeatable switching. The proposed design and fabrication route enable the scalable integration of bottom-up synthesized nanowires in NEMS.publishersversionPeer reviewe

Extra tension at electrode-nanowire adhesive contacts in nano-electromechanical devices

We report a strong tangential component of the reaction force at electrode to nanowire adhesive contact which was previously established using electrostatic attraction. The reaction force tangential component absolute value was found to be comparable to or even bigger than the corresponding normal component. This effect is important for understanding of the mechanics of nano-electromechanical devices. Both the experiment and the corresponding theory are presented. Fitting of the obtained analytical solutions to experimental data was used to measure the reaction force acting at the contact for several nanowire-electrode configurations

Sensing properties of assembled Bi2S3 nanowire arrays

Bismuth sulfide (Bi2S3) nanowires were grown in porous aluminium oxide template and a selective chemical etching was applied to transfer the nanowires to a solution. Well aligned nanowire arrays were assembled on pre-patterned silicon substrates employing dielectrophoresis. Electron beam lithography was used to connect aligned individual nanowires to the common macroelectrode. In order to evaluate the conductometric sensing performance of the Bi2S3 nanowires, current–voltage characteristics were measured at different relative humidity (RH) levels (5–80%) / argon medium. The response of the Bi2S3 nanowires depending of RH is found to be considerably different from those reported for other types of nanowire RH sensor devices

Investigating the mechanical properties of GeSn nanowires.

Germanium tin (GeSn) has been proposed as a promising material for electronic and optical applications due to the formation of a direct band-gap at a Sn content >7 at%. Furthermore, the ability to manipulate the properties of GeSn at the nanoscale will further permit the realisation of advanced mechanical devices. Here we report for the first time the mechanical properties of GeSn nanowires (7.1–9.7 at% Sn) and assess their suitability as nanoelectromechanical (NEM) switches. Electron microscopy analysis showed the nanowires to be single crystalline, with surfaces covered by a thin native amorphous oxide layer. Mechanical resonance and bending tests at different boundary conditions were used to obtain size-dependent Young's moduli and to relate the mechanical characteristics of the alloy nanowires to geometry and Sn incorporation. The mechanical properties of the GeSn nanowires make them highly promising for applications in next generation NEM devices

Interactive H5P video experiments for an online laboratory in physics

https://www.ester.ee/record=b5512346*es

Extra tension at electrode-nanowire adhesive contacts in nano-electromechanical devices

We report a strong tangential component of the reaction force at electrode to nanowire adhesive contact which was previously established using electrostatic attraction. The reaction force tangential component absolute value was found to be comparable to or even bigger than the corresponding normal component. This effect is important for understanding of the mechanics of nano-electromechanical devices. Both the experiment and the corresponding theory are presented. Fitting of the obtained analytical solutions to experimental data was used to measure the reaction force acting at the contact for several nanowire-electrode configurations

Resonance assisted jump-in voltage reduction for electrostatically actuated nanobeam-based gateless NEM switches.

Electrostatically actuated nanobeam-based electromechanical switches have shown promise for versatile novel applications, such as low power devices. However, their widespread use is restricted due to poor reliability resulting from high jump-in voltages. This article reports a new method for lowering the jump-in voltage by inducing mechanical oscillations in the active element during the switching ON process, reducing the jump-in voltage by more than three times. Ge0.91Sn0.09 alloy and Bi2Se3 nanowire-based nanoelectromechanical switches were constructed in situ to demonstrate the operation principles and advantages of the proposed method