Fabrication of nanoscale bridge structure using carbon nanotubes

Abstract

Carbon nanotubes have been proposed as various nanoelectromechanical devices, not only because of their excellent electronic and mechanical properties but also because of significant progress that has been made in the last few years in fabrication of carbon nanostructures. To realize electromechanical applications using carbon nanotubes, we have fabricated a nanoelectromechanical device consisted of suspended multi wall carbon nanotube (MWNT) and metal electrodes. The device was designed to be switched between suspended MWNT and pull-in electrode by transiently charging the nanotube and pull-in electrode to produce attractive electrostatic forces. Nanotubes were dispersed on SiO2 coated Si wafer, after mapping process, and contact electrodes and pull-in electrode were formed by electron beam lithography and sputtering. The measuring results of electrical properties of the device shows the suspended MWNTs have ohmic contact with contact electrodes and the range of resistance were 7 ㏀ ~ 54 ㏀. The maximum current density of the suspended MWNT was a 10.4 ´106A/㎠. The suspended MWNTs were mechanically deflected to the pull-in electrode when the attractive bias was applied between suspended MWNT and pull-in electrode.