Fabrication of electromechanical switch using interconnected single-walled carbon nanotubes

We demonstrated a prototype of nanoelectromechanical switch which was fabricated with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). An alternating current electric field was utilized to assemble interconnected SWCNTs suspended over the focused ion beam lithography fabricated trenches on the electrode surface. By controlling the electromechanical coupling between the electrostatic and elastostatic forces acting on the SWCNTs, we realized the on and off states of the SWCNT switches. Both two-terminal and three-terminal measurements have been conducted and indicated repeatable switch effects. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics.