Resonance assisted jump-in voltage reduction for electrostatically actuated nanobeam-based gateless NEM switches

Nanotechnology. 2019 Sep 20;30(38):385203. doi: 10.1088/1361-6528/ab2b11. Epub 2019 Jun 19.

Abstract

Electrostatically actuated nanobeam-based electromechanical switches have shown promise for versatile novel applications, such as low power devices. However, their widespread use is restricted due to poor reliability resulting from high jump-in voltages. This article reports a new method for lowering the jump-in voltage by inducing mechanical oscillations in the active element during the switching ON process, reducing the jump-in voltage by more than three times. Ge0.91Sn0.09 alloy and Bi2Se3 nanowire-based nanoelectromechanical switches were constructed in situ to demonstrate the operation principles and advantages of the proposed method.