A MEMS device with sub-nanometer displacement sensing using carbon nanotubes

In this work we present, for the first time, an on-chip sub-nanometer displacement sensing scheme. The sensing is achieved using integrated single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) as the sensing element A novel fabrication process was used to suspend SWCNTs in a micro electromechanical (MEMS) device and integrate them onto special MEMS stretching devices, which was used to apply controlled nanoscale stretching to the SWCNTs while monitoring their electrical resistivity. Experimental results show that the SWCNTs resistance significantly changed under sub-nanometer stretching, thus demonstrating the realization of an ultra-sensitive MEMS displacement sensor.