We have successfully developed an integrated micromechanical system for controlling tunneling current. A pair of nanoscale tunneling tips have been integrated with a silicon micromachined electrostatic actuator of high-aspect ratio. The tip sharpness has been observed to be as sharp as commercial tips by scanning over surface of carbon graphite as an atom scale. We have also succeeded to observe the tunneling current in the air and in the vacuum condition (in TEM).
Published in:
Microelectromechanical Systems, Journal of
(Volume:14
,
Issue:
1
)
Date of Publication: Feb. 2005