NANO-ELECTRO-MECHANICAL

SYSTEM(NEMS)
 CONTENTS

Introduction
Benefits of Nano-machines

Fabrication of NEMS device

Advantages

Applications

Summary
 INTRODUCTION

Nano-Electro-Mechanical system (NEMS) is the

integration of mechanical elements, sensors, actuators
and electronics on a common silicon substrate.

The Nano mechanical components are fabricated using

compatible micromachining process.

NEMS is the enabling technology allowing the

development of smart products.
 Nano electro mechanical devices promise to
revolutionize measurements of extremely small
displacement and extremely weak forces, particularly at
the molecular level.

NEMS devices can be so small that hundreds of them

can be fit in the same space as one single micro device
that performs same function.
 In Nems devices the sensors gather the information from
surrounding environment through measuring
mechanical, chemical, biological, chemical and optical
phenomenon.

The electronics then process the information derived

form the sensors.

Through some decision making capability direct the

actuators to respond by moving, regulating and filtering.
 BENEFITS OF NANO MACHINES

Nano-Mechanical devices promise to revolutionize

measurements of extremely small displacements and
forces.

Can built with the masses approaching a few

attograms(10-18g) and with the cross section of 10nm.

A second important attribute Nano machines is that they

dissipate less energy.
 NEMS are extremely sensitive for the external damping
mechanisms which is crucial for building sensors.

The Geometry of a NEMS device can be tailored so that

the vibrating elements reacts only to external forces in a
specific direction.

NEMS are ultra low power devices.

Fundamental power scale is defined by the thermal

energy divided by the response time
 FABRICATION OF NEMS DEVICE

There are three Basic building blocks in NEMS

technology.

Deposition processes.

Lithography.

Etching processes.
Deposition Process :

One of the basic building blocks in NEMS processing is

the ability to deposit thin films of materials.

Thin films of thickness of about few nm to about

100 nm.
Chemical methods used in NEMS deposition
process.
o Chemical vapour deposition.
o Epitaxy.
 Chemical vapour deposition :

Fig. 1: Typical hot-wall LPCVD reactor

 Epitaxy :

Fig 2: Typical cold-wall vapour phase

epitaxial reactor
 Lithography :

Lithography in the NEMS context is typically the

transfer of a pattern to a photosensitive material by
selective exposure to a radiation source such as light.

A photosensitive material is a material that experiences a

change in its physical properties when exposed to a
radiation source.
 Pattern Transfer :

Fig 3: Transfer of a pattern to a photosensitive material

 Figure 4:a) Pattern definition in positive resist, b) Pattern definition in
negative resist.
 Alignment :

Inorder to make useful devices the patterns for different

lithography steps that belongs to a single structure must
be aligned to one another.

The first pattern includes a set of alignment marks.

The first pattern alignment marks used as the reference

when positining subsequent patterns.
 Exposure :

This parameter is required in order to achive accurate

pattern transfer from the Mask to the photo sensitive
layer.

Different Photo resist exhibit different sensitivity to

different wavelengths
 Etching :

It is necessary to etch the thin films previously

deposited or the substrate itself.

There are 2 class of etching process.

Wet etching.

Dry etching.
 Wet etching :

This is the simplest etching technology.

There are complications since usually Mask is desired to

selectively etch the material.

It requires a container with a liquid solution that dissolve

the material used.

Some single crystall material, such as silicon, exhibits

anistropic etching in certain chemicals.
 ADVANTAGES

o Cost effectiveness.

o System integration.

o High Precision.

o Small size.
 APPLICATIONS OF NEMS

Accelerometer :
NEMS accelerometers are quickly replacing
conventional accelerometers for crash air-bag
deployment systems in automobiles.

Figure 6 : Accelerometer(air bags)

 Nano nozzles:

Another wide deployment of NEMS is their use as nano

nozzles that direct the ink in inkjet printers.

They are also used to create miniature robots (nano-

robots) as well as nano-tweezers.

NEMS have been rigorously tested in harsh

environments for defense and aerospace where they are
used as navigational gyroscopes.
 NEMS in Wireless :

A 3G smart phone will require the functionality of as

many as five radios for TDMA, CDMA, 3G,
Bluetooth and GSM operation. A huge increase in
component count is required to accomplish this demand.
 Thermal actuator :

Thermal actuator is one of the most important NEMS

devices, which is able to deliver a large force with large
displacement.
 SUMMARY

Nano-systems have the enabling capability and potential

similar to those of nano-processors .

Since NEMS is a nascent and synergistic technology,

many new applications will emerge, expanding the
markets beyond that which is currently identified or
known.
 NEMS is forecasted to have growth similar to its parent
IC technology.
For a great many applications, NEMS is sure to be the
technology of the future.
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