Low voltage nanoelectromechanical switches based on silicon carbide nanowires.
basic_science · Level V
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 20698601.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1021/nl1009734.
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Abstract
We report experimental demonstrations of electrostatically actuated, contact-mode nanoelectromechanical switches based on very thin silicon carbide (SiC) nanowires (NWs). These NWs are lithographically patterned from a 50 nm thick SiC layer heteroepitaxially grown on single-crystal silicon (Si). Several generic designs of in-plane electrostatic SiC NW switches have been realized, with NW widths as small as approximately 20 nm and lateral switching gaps as narrow as approximately 10 nm. Very low switch-on voltages are obtained, from a few volts down to approximately 1 V level. Two-terminal, contact-mode "hot" switching with high on/off ratios (>10(2) or 10(3)) has been demonstrated repeatedly for many devices. We find enhanced switching performance in bare SiC NWs, with lifetimes exceeding those based on metallized SiC NWs.