The effects of three-dimensional shaping of vertically aligned carbon-nanotube contacts for micro-electro-mechanical switches
A micro-electro-mechanical switch integrated with vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as the contact material is presented. Arrays of the CNTs are three-dimensionally micropatterned using a pulsed micro-discharge process to have tapered contact surfaces with controlled angles, achieving maxim...
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Veröffentlicht in: | Applied physics letters 2013-12, Vol.103 (23) |
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Hauptverfasser: | , , , , |
Format: | Artikel |
Sprache: | eng |
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Online-Zugang: | Volltext |
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Zusammenfassung: | A micro-electro-mechanical switch integrated with vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as the contact material is presented. Arrays of the CNTs are three-dimensionally micropatterned using a pulsed micro-discharge process to have tapered contact surfaces with controlled angles, achieving maximized contact areas, while providing contact resistances in the 10 Ω range with an enhanced current capacity. A shape-memory-alloy actuator is integrated to demonstrate stable switching for ∼1.4 × 106 ON-OFF cycles with no sign of damage. The results prove that post-growth micropatterning of CNTs is a promising path to improved and reliable micro contact switches enabled by arrayed CNT contacts for high-power applications. |
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ISSN: | 0003-6951 1077-3118 |
DOI: | 10.1063/1.4844695 |