Electrofluidic assembly of nanoelectromechanical systems

Recent advances in surface nanomachining have allowed the fabrication of mechanical structures with dimensions reaching 20 nm, and resonant frequencies in the 100s of MHz. Structural issues prevent the "top-down" surface machining of high-quality NEMS resonators. Such systems are alternatively to be bestowed by "bottom-up" manufacturing technologies. We report the surface assembly of RF-range NEMS. Using electrofluidic assembly, we have successfully positioned Rh mechanical beams onto specific sites of a silicon circuit. With diameters as small as 250 nm and lengths varying from 2 to 3 μm, preliminary results show mechanical resonances ranging from 5 MHz to 80 MHz, and quality factors reaching 500. We also report the development of nanostructured NEMS for sensor applications, and present strategies for their deployment in integrative nanosystems.