Synthesis of carbon nanotubes-Ni composite for micromechanical elements application

We present the fabrication and characterization of a silicon micromirror with carbon nanotubes (CNTs)-nickel (Ni) composite beams, and evaluate the mechanical stability of the micromirror in terms of resonant frequency. A novel electroplating method is developed for the synthesis of the CNTs-Ni composite. The weight fraction of the CNTs in the electroplated composite is 2.6 wt%, and the ultramicroindentation hardness of the composite is 18.6 GPa. The maximum variation of the resonant frequency of the fabricated micromirror during a long term stability test is approximately 0.25%, and its scanning angle is approximately 20°. It shows the potential ability of the CNTs-Ni composite for micromechanical elements application.