A dual-silicon-nanowire based nanoelectromechanical switch

A dual-silicon-nanowires based nanoelectromechanical (NEMS) switch is fabricated using standard complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) compatible process. The switch comprises a capacitive paddle and two silicon nanowires both connect with the paddle, form a U-shape structure. The high electrostatic force generated from the large capacitive paddle and high flexible structure favor of silicon nanowires result to ultra-low pull-in voltage. The pull-in voltage is measured at 0.9V. According to the preliminary results, this switch demonstrates great potential in decreasing pull-in voltage.