Fabrication of nano-mechanical switch using focused ion beam for complex nano-electronic circuits

摘要

A nano-mechanical switch has been fabricated and its switching action has been demonstrated. Thendevice utilises the phenomenon of bending of Pt nanopillars and cantilevers induced by focused ion beamn(FIB). Two skew Pt pillars with equal lengths and different cross-sections have been fabricated subtending annangle of approximately 1008 with each other using FIB-chemical vapour deposition (CVD). One of the pillars isninitially made to bend towards the adjacent pillar to achieve a physical contact with it, and then is bent innopposite direction from it. The pillar has been bent along the desired orientation by appropriately choosingnthe ion beam irradiation directions. The switching action has been demonstrated by applying constant voltagenacross the Pt pillars and measuring the current passing through it, as a function of time during ion beamnscanning. These nano-mechanical switches would find useful applications during the in-situ electricalncharacterisation of micro- and nano-structures fabricated by FIB.