Viscoelastic coupling of nanoelectromechanical resonators [report]

Robert Joseph Simonson, Alan W. Staton
2009 unpublished
This report summarizes work to date on a new collaboration between Sandia National Laboratories and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) to utilize nanoelectromechanical resonators designed at Caltech as platforms to measure the mechanical properties of polymeric materials at length scales on the order of 10-50 nm. Caltech has succeeded in reproducibly building cantilever resonators having major dimensions on the order of 2-5 microns. These devices are fabricated in pairs, with free
more » ... ends separated by reproducible gaps having dimensions on the order of 10-50 nm. By controlled placement of materials that bridge the very small gap between resonators, the mechanical devices become coupled through the test material, and the transmission of energy between the devices can be monitored. This should allow for measurements of viscoelastic properties of polymeric materials at high frequency over short distances. Our work to date has been directed toward establishing this measurement capability at Sandia. 4 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We gratefully acknowledge collaboration with Dr. Edward B. Myers, Dr. Xinchang Zhang, and Professor Michael Roukes of the Departments of Physics and Applied Physics at the California Institute of Technology. In addition, we thank Mr. Ric Watson of eDT, Inc. (Albuquerque, NM) for his assistance in fabrication of radiofrequency drive and sensing circuitry for control of nanoelectromechanical cantilever devices.
doi:10.2172/993930 fatcat:a4hqkyecxnhobpjt4xmeokooge