Surface characterization of a Au/CNT composite for a MEMS switching application

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have been used to improve the lifetime of electrical contacts of MEMS switches. The surface, usually gold-coated, demonstrates a complex structure. Due to the space between vertically aligned nanotubes, the sputtered gold penetrates into CNT. The surface of the composite also presents a much higher roughness than metal-coated surfaces. This work investigates the surface features of the gold-coated MWCNT composite, as well as the gold penetration into MWCNT. Different techniques are used in the study, namely TEM, SEM, AFM and optical surface profiler.