Nanoelectromechanical bistable cantilever device
First Claim
1. Electromechanical device having an electrically conductive or semiconducting nano-cantilever wherein the nano-cantilever has a free end that is movable relative to an electrically conductive substrate of a circuit, a power source connected in the circuit for providing a voltage between the substrate and the nano-cantilever to effect bending movement of the nano-cantilever relative to the substrate, and a feedback control for varying the voltage between the substrate and the nano-cantilever in response to the position of the nano-cantilever relative to the substrate wherein two stable positions of the nano-cantilever and a hystersis loop in the current voltage space between a pull-in voltage and a pull-out voltage are provided.
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Abstract
Nano-electromechanical device having an electrically conductive nano-cantilever wherein the nano-cantilever has a free end that is movable relative to an electrically conductive substrate such as an electrode of a circuit. The circuit includes a power source connected to the electrode and to the nano-cantilever for providing a pull-in or pull-out voltage therebetween to effect bending movement of the nano-cantilever relative to the electrode. Feedback control is provided for varying the voltage between the electrode and the nano-cantilever in response to the position of the cantilever relative to the electrode. The device provides two stable positions of the nano-cantilever and a hysteresis loop in the current-voltage space between the pull-in voltage and the pull-out voltage. A first stable position of the nano-cantilever is provided at sub-nanometer gap between the free end of the nano-cantilever and the electrode with a pull-in voltage applied and with a stable tunneling electrical current present in the circuit. A second stable position of the nano-cantilever is provided with a pull-out voltage between the cantilever and the electrode with little or no tunneling electrical current present in the circuit. The nano-electromechanical device can be used in a scanning probe microscope, ultrasonic wave detection sensor, NEMS switch, random access memory element, gap sensor, logic device, and a bio-sensor when the nano-cantilever is functionalized with biomolecules that interact with species present in the ambient environment be them in air or aqueous solutions. In the latest case, the NEMS needs to be integrated with a microfluidic system.
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Citations
28 Claims
- 1. Electromechanical device having an electrically conductive or semiconducting nano-cantilever wherein the nano-cantilever has a free end that is movable relative to an electrically conductive substrate of a circuit, a power source connected in the circuit for providing a voltage between the substrate and the nano-cantilever to effect bending movement of the nano-cantilever relative to the substrate, and a feedback control for varying the voltage between the substrate and the nano-cantilever in response to the position of the nano-cantilever relative to the substrate wherein two stable positions of the nano-cantilever and a hystersis loop in the current voltage space between a pull-in voltage and a pull-out voltage are provided.
- 19. Electromechanical device, comprising an electrically conductive or semiconducting nano-cantilever comprising a carbon nanotube or metallic nanowire having a free end movable relative to an electrically conductive electrode, a power source connected to the electrode and the nano-cantilever for applying a pull-in voltage between the electrode and the nano-cantilever to effect relative bending movement of the nano-cantilever toward the electrode, and feedback control resistor between the power source and the electrode for reducing the pull-in voltage between the electrode and the nano-cantilever in response to the free end of the nano-cantilever moving closer to the electrode and for increasing the pull-in voltage between the electrode and the nano-cantilever in response to the free end of the nano-cantilever moving away from the electrode wherein two stable positions of the nano-cantilever and a hystersis loop in the current voltage space between the pull-in voltage and the pull-out voltage are provided.
- 24. In a method of moving a free end of an electrically conductive or semiconducting nano-cantilever relative to a conductive substrate of a circuit, the steps of providing a voltage between the substrate and the nano-cantilever to effect bending movement of the nano-cantilever relative to the substrate and varying the voltage between the substrate and the nano-cantilever by feedback control in response to the position of the nano-cantilever relative to the substrate wherein two stable positions of the nano-cantilever and a hystersis loop in the current voltage space between a pull-in voltage and a pull-out voltage are provided.
Specification