Design and fabrication of micromechanical logic elements

The development of a complete micromechanical digital logic family fabricated for use in low speed applications requiring radiation immunity is presented. The micromachined devices operate by electronic linear actuation of a slider element restricted to a one-dimensional track. A novel feature of the device is the use of a sliding electrical contact. The basic structure of the device is fabricated using three LPCVD polysilicon and two sacrificial oxide deposition steps. The micromechanical logic element demonstrates robust electrical characteristics and has an operating threshold of apparently 15 volts.<
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