DEVELOPMENT OF PIEZORESISTIVE SILICON NANOWIRES (SINWS) AND THE APPLICATIONS IN NEMS TECHNOLOGY.

Abstract

As one of most sophisticated sensing mechanisms, piezoresistive effect has been widely implemented into various applications diversifying from automotive industry to clinic trial. To further fulfill the market demands (e.g. miniaturization, large sensing range, high sensitivity, good linearity, low cost and etc.); the research interest is now focusing on nano-scaled materials. Silicon nanowire (SiNW) is one of the most promising nano-scaled materials and has been well reported for its superior piezoresistive coefficient (or larger gauge factor) compared with traditional piezoresistors (e.g. metal gauge, conductive elastomer, polysilicon/buckle silicon wire and etc.). However, most literatures are reported based on SiNW fabricated using bottom-up technology and these theoretical studies need to be verified through the practical prototype designs focusing on specific applications. In this thesis, the fabrication technique of silicon nanowires with top-down technology on 8 inch wafer is explored and processed. Detailed performances of SiNW based NEMS devices for each specific application is characterized. The proof-of-concept demonstration for the capability of SiNW NEMS sensor facilitates the transformation of nanotechnology from the research institute into the real-world manufacturing industry.