A controllable nanomechanical memory element

We report the realization of a completely controllable high-speed nanomechanical memory element fabricated from single-crystal silicon wafers. This element consists of a doubly clamped suspended nanomechanical beam structure, which can be made to switch controllably between two stable and distinct states at a single frequency in the megahertz range. Because of their submicron size and high normal-mode frequencies, these nanomechanical memory elements offer the potential to rival the current state-of-the-art electronic data storage and processing. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.