SGER: Actuators for Angstrom-scale Movement of Micromachined Devices

Actuators for Angstrom-scale Movement of micromachined devices

(Joseph Talghader)

The objective of this proposal is to demonstrate electrostatic actuation capable of

angstrom-level control of nanometer-scale air gaps between micron- to millimeter-sized flat semiconductor surfaces. To achieve this, wedge actuators using micromachined- and bulk cantilevers will be fabricated using silicon and InGaAs/InP materials. Initially, the actuators will be configured with electrodes across the entire structure to test the general shape across the structures. Subsequent structures will have actuation electrodes and gap testing electrodes separated, with the actuation electrodes separated with a larger gap.

Intellectual Merit:

A successful completion of the program will be the demonstration of angstrom level

control as measured using either interferometry, electrical tunneling between electrodes separated

by a nanometer-scale gap, or shifts in the peak wavelength of the photoluminescence across the

wedge. Moving micron- to millimeter-sized structures over atomic distance scales is one of the major challenges in the advance of nanotechnology. Control at this level would enable many nanomechanical devices such as those where one changes the gap between quantum barriers to adjust the position of electron states.

Broader Impact

Current semiconductor light emitters and detectors have tunability limited to roughly 10% of their fundamental emission frequency. Electron quantum state control could extend the tuning of interband transitions to 30% and intersubband transitions to nearly their fundamental limits dictated by band offsets and thermal broadening. This one-year program encompasses theoretical, experimental, and design work, which makes it ideal for training graduate students and advanced undergraduates. In addition, the program may also include research opportunities for one or more high school students through a Mentor program in one of the local school districts of the Twin Cities area. There are several available educational programs at Minnesota, which will be used to recruit undergraduate participants in the research including an NSF-funded REU program for underrepresented and small college students, an Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP), and a departmental Senior Honors Program.