DEVELOPMENT OF NANO/MICROELECTROMECHANICAL SYSTEM (N/MEMS) SWITCHES

Abstract

Micro / Nano electromechanical system (M/NEMS) switches have been attracting attention for its excellent switching properties such as zero-leakage current, abrupt switch behavior and potential to operate at high temperatures. These unique properties make the NEMS switch to be a strong candidate for ultra-low power electronics and harsh environment integrated circuits. Several studies on MEMS switches with a dimension of a few tens of micrometers have been reported earlier. To further miniaturize the devices, CMOS-compatible fabrication techniques with sub-micron feature definition have been developed. Detailed characterizations for Si nanowire based NEMS switch shows a great reduction in actuation voltage. An all-metal-based M/NEMS switches with low contact resistance and outstanding reliability in high temperature were then developed with very high process yield. This extensive study of M/NEMS switches will facilitate the potential transformation of single device demonstration into large scale integration for commercial applications.