Graphene MEMS and NEMS

TL;DR

This review explores the unique properties of graphene that make it an ideal material for advanced MEMS and NEMS devices, highlighting recent developments, fabrication methods, and future challenges.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of graphene-based MEMS and NEMS, including properties, fabrication techniques, device structures, and potential applications.

Findings

Graphene offers high sensitivity and mechanical strength for NEMS.

Various transfer and fabrication methods enable integration of graphene with MEMS.

Graphene-based devices show promise for future sensing and nanoelectromechanical applications.

Abstract

Graphene is being increasingly used as an interesting transducer membrane in micro- and nanoelectromechanical systems (MEMS and NEMS, respectively) due to its atomical thickness, extremely high carrier mobility, high mechanical strength and piezoresistive electromechanical transductions. NEMS devices based on graphene feature increased sensitivity, reduced size, and new functionalities. In this review, we discuss the merits of graphene as a functional material for MEMS and NEMS, the related properties of graphene, the transduction mechanisms of graphene MEMS and NEMS, typical transfer methods for integrating graphene with MEMS substrates, methods for fabricating suspended graphene, and graphene patterning and electrical contact. Consequently, we provide an overview of devices based on suspended and nonsuspended graphene structures. Finally, we discuss the potential and challenges of applications of graphene in MEMS and NEMS. Owing to its unique features, graphene is a promising material for emerging MEMS, NEMS and sensor applications.