Page 53 - Principles and Applications of NanoMEMS Physics

1. NANOELECTROMECHANICAL SYSTEMS 39

reminiscent of a goose-feather pen, a molecular “ink” is deposited over a
gold surface according to a desired pattern. In one demonstration of the
technique, an AFM tip was coated with a thin film of thiol molecules (the
“ink”) and moved two-dimensionally so as to inscribe the underlying gold
surface.
Since the thiol molecules can only attach to the gold surface in one
particular orientation, a self-assembled monolayer of them, embodying the
desired “writing,” results. A variety of “inks” may be employed and, in
terms of line width capability, lines a few-nanometers wide have been
demonstrated.

1. 3 Summary

In this chapter we have introduced the broad field of
nanoelectromechanical systems. In particular, we have traced its origins,
motivation, and presented a unified survey of its distinctive characteristic,
namely, the convergence of fabrication techniques, from conventional IC
fabrication, to microelectromechanical systems fabrication, to nanoscale
fabrication. In the next chapter, we address the fundamental physics on
which devices, circuits and systems exploiting the NanoMEMS fabrication
methods may be predicated.