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Published June 2006 | public
Journal Article

Carbon Nanotube Linear Bearing Nanoswitches

Abstract

We exploit the remarkable low-friction bearing capabilities of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) to realize nanoelectromechanical switches. Our switches consist of two open-ended MWNT segments separated by a nanometer-scale gap. Switching occurs through electrostatically actuated sliding of the inner nanotube shells to close the gap, producing a conducting ON state. For double-walled nanotubes in particular, a gate voltage can restore the insulating OFF state. Acting as a nonvolatile memory element capable of several switching cycles, our devices are straightforward to implement, self-aligned, and do not require complex fabrication or geometries, allowing for convenient scalability.

Additional Information

© 2006 American Chemical Society. Received 21 December 2005. Published online 10 May 2006. Published in print 1 June 2006. We thank Alireza Ghafari for assistance with fabrication. M.B. acknowledges the support of ONR and Arrowhead Research Corporation. The work in Lausanne was supported by the Swiss NSF and its research pool "Nanoscale Science".

Additional details

Created:
August 19, 2023
Modified:
October 26, 2023