Nanoelectromechanical torsion switch of low operation voltage for nonvolatile memory application

作者：Xiang, Wenfeng; Lee, Chengkuo^*

来源：Applied Physics Letters, 2010, 96(19): 193113.

DOI：10.1063/1.3428781

• cantilevers
• focused ion beam technology
• nanoelectromechanical devices
• nanofabrication
• torsion

Nanoelectromechanical torsion switches are fabricated by using focused ion beam milling on silicon-on-insulator substrate. The device layer thickness of the substrate is 220 nm. A 9 mu m long and 1.5 mu m wide suspended silicon cantilever is mechanically connected to peripheral silicon device layer via a silicon torsion spring with the length of 2.4 mu m and width of 530 nm. After hydrofluoric-acid vapor releasing, the silicon cantilever shows downward deflection. The pull-in voltage is about 5.5 V and the ratio of current measured at the ON/OFF states is over 1000. Moreover, the simulated data of pull-in voltage of torsion switch is in agreement with the experimental result, which will contribute to design of an optimal nanoelectromechanical torsion switch with a driven voltage as low as 1.2 V. According to the preliminary results, this torsion switch with low driven voltage has a great potential for high density non-volatile memory application.

• 出版日期2010-5-10
• 单位中国石油大学（北京）