We demonstrate a large aspect ratio self-aligned silicon nanopillar electromechanical switch achieved with a single lithography step. This compact vertical device can be aggressively scaled by virtue of self-limiting oxidation. We describe a scaling relation that outlines the design space for this class of low voltage nanorelays. Summary of Research: We summarize: (a) the implications of electr...

A low actuation voltage RF MEMS shunt capacitive switch has been designed and simulated for use in X-band (8-12GHz) applications. The MEMS switch is a freely moving membrane over coplanar waveguide. Double meander structure of tuned dual beam is used here to improve the isolation of switch. Actuation is achieved by using electrostatic mechanism because of its low power consumption, small size a...

Optically driven actuators have been fabricated from single-wall carbon nanotube–polymer composite sheets. Like natural muscles, the millimetre-scale actuators are assemblies of millions of individual nanotube actuators processed into macroscopic length scales and bonded to an acrylic elastomer sheet to form an actuator that have been shown to generate higher stress than natural muscles and hig...

A new type of graphene fiber spring (GFS) has been demonstrated to possess a large elongation of up to 480% with a stable elasticity coefficient for 100,000 times of stretch. Remarkably, the GFS performs reversibly stretchable actuation under electrostatic effects, and responds to an applied magnetic field for the development of novel magnetostriction switches and actuators once functionalized ...

Electromagnetic induction (EMI) is a mechanism of classical physics that can be utilized to convert mechanical energy to electrical energy or electrical to mechanical energy. This mechanism has not been exploited fully because of lack of a material with a sufficiently low force constant. We here show that carbon nanotube (CNT) aerogel sheets can exploit EMI to provide mechanical actuation at ve...

Capacitive accelerometers with electrostatic force feedback are widely employed, because of performance and robustness. The force feedback acts as a means for electronic modulation of the spring constant of the suspension. Commonly, the electrostatic feedback is employed for null-based acceleration measurement. A suitable electrostatic time-varying actuation could instead be used to make the ac...

This paper reports on a visual servoing system capable of 2DOF nanopositioning using a novel multi-axis electrostatic MEMS (MicroElectroMechanical System) device. The high aspect ratio micromanipulator was fabricated using a high yield process with Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE) on Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) wafers, which produces larger electrostatic forces and requires lower actuation volta...