Application of MEMS technologies to nanodevices

A process methodology enabling the fabrication of various nanodevices is demonstrated that is compatible with standard integrated circuit processes and recently developed MEMS technologies. The basic devices are laterally suspended single-crystal silicon nanowires with diameters from ~20 nm formed by a single DRIE etch step and oxidation thinning cycles. These nanowires can further serve as molds for conformal polysilicon and silicon nitride deposition, resulting in coaxial nanowires and fluidic devices such as nanocapillaries and nanopores with <100 nm inner diameters. The above nanodevices are being investigated for use in thermoelectric and biomedical applications as well as MEMS actuator integration.