 UW-Madison MRSEC |
Nano-Electromechanical Systems realized with Semiconductor Tubes for Signal Processing |
Principal Investigator:
Robert H. Blick - blick@engr.wisc.edu
| In this work we apply nanostructuring techniques to build nanomechanical systems for future communication systems and sensor circuits. We aim at using strained semiconductor substrates with which we will build nano-tubes with diameters and lengths ranging from 30 nm to several 100 microns. The diameter is tunable by controlling the magnitude of strain. The strain will not only form the tubes, but can produce electronically, piezoelectrically, or optically active zones. These structures epitomize the next generation of integrated micro-electromechanical systems components. Their small dimensions and construction from Si/Ge and other materials make these 3D microstructures perfectly suited for GHz-operation integrated circuits. Beyond these "solid-state electronics" studies, we plan integration of semiconductor circuits and Si nanotubes with biological matter, such as bilipid membranes, on the micro- and nanometer scale. |
