Microelectromechanical Logic Device Enabled by Tunable Torsional Resonator with Layered Inductor

This paper presents a reconfigurable microelectromechanical (MEM) logic device for mechanical computing, featuring an electromagnetic inductor on an electrostatically driven torsional resonator. The proposed device utilizes a torsional resonator with two comb drives and a layered inductor for tuning the resonant frequency and electromagnetically induced voltage, respectively. This design, which induces out-of-plane torsional motion, overcomes the in-plane spatial limitation in typical resonance-based MEM/NEM computing units. While the magnitude of the magnetic field applied across the entire system can be independently controlled, the output signal is generated electromagnetically, exhibiting an on/off ratio over 60. Furthermore, by individually applying DC input signals to the two vertical comb sets, we achieved tunability of the resonant frequency, which allows the switching of the logic device between on-resonance and off-resonance states. Exploiting this torsion-based tunable resonator, we successfully demonstrate a reconfigurable mechanical logic device, enabling 1-bit NOT and 2-bit NOR logic gates.