Strengthening fragile forests of carbon nanotubes for new MEMS applications
Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are incredibly tiny devices, often built on the scale of millionths of a meter. Conventional MEMS structures tend to be made out of silicon-based materials familiar to the micro-electronics industry, but this ignores a suite of useful materials such as other semiconductors, ceramics, and metals. By using a variety of materials not commonly associated with MEMS technology, a team from Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah has created stronger microstructures that can form precise, tall and narrow 3-D shapes – characteristics that were never before possible in MEMS. The researchers will present their latest findings at the AVS 59th International Symposium and Exhibition, held Oct. 28 – Nov. 2, in Tampa, Fla.
