Resonance assisted jump-in voltage reduction for electrostatically actuated nanobeam-based gateless NEM switches

Electrostatically actuated nanobeam-based electromechanical switches have shown promise for versatile novel applications, such as low power devices. However, their widespread use is restricted due to poor reliability resulting from high jump-in voltages. This article reports a new method for lowering the jump-in voltage by inducing mechanical oscillations in the active element during the switching ON process, reducing the jump-in voltage by more than three times. Ge(0.9)1Sn(0.09) alloy and Bi2Se3 nanowire-based nanoelectromechanical switches were constructed in situ to demonstrate the operation principles and advantages of the proposed method.