Doped Nano-Electromechanical Systems

TL;DR

This paper introduces doped nano-electromechanical systems (D-NEMS) that eliminate the need for metallization, enabling lighter, tunable, and potentially more versatile nanodevices with enhanced resonance properties.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel doping-based fabrication method for NEMS that improves weight, tunability, and device design flexibility compared to traditional metallized NEMS.

Findings

D-NEMS do not require metallization layers.

D-NEMS exhibit increased resonance frequency and quality factor.

D-NEMS can be tuned from conductive to insulating states.

Abstract

We present a new generation of nano-electromechanical systems (NEMS), which are realized by doping the semiconductor base material. In contrast to the traditional approach these doped NEMS (D-NEMS) do not require a metallization layer. This makes them far lighter and hence increases resonance frequency and quality factor. Additionally, D-NEMS can be tuned from the conductive state into an insulating one. This will enable a host of new device designs, like mechanically tunable pin-junctions and nanomechanical single electron switches. We demonstrate D-NEMS fabrication and operation from the intrinsic, to the light, and to the heavy regime of doping.