Controlling strain in suspended Nanomaterials

The use of nanomaterials in emerging electronics and sensor technologies is becoming more prevalent due to their unique properties. However, controlling the strain states of these materials in nanodevices remains a persistent challenge. Incorporating mechanical strain in a controllable manner is crucial and is simplified here for suspended nanomaterial assemblies in nano-electro-mechanical system (NEMS) configurations. We discuss a verified CMOS compatible and scalable surface micromachining approach with respect to design capabilities based on FE simulations. It is shown that in-plane stress applicable in multi-axial directions can be controlled by only a few geometry factors and by process parameters of strain mediating stress layers.