SGER: Actuators for Angstrom-scale Movement of Micromachined Devices

微机械设备埃级运动的致动器（Joseph Talghader）本提案的目的是演示静电致动能够在微米到毫米尺寸的平面半导体表面之间的纳米级气隙进行埃级控制。为了实现这一目标，楔形执行器使用微机械和大块悬臂梁，将使用硅和InGaAs/InP材料制造。最初，执行器将在整个结构上配置电极，以测试整个结构的总体形状。后续结构将驱动电极与间隙测试电极分开，其中驱动电极的间隙较大。智力优势：成功完成该计划将演示使用干涉测量法测量的埃电平控制，由纳米级间隙分隔的电极之间的电隧道，或光致发光的峰值波长在楔形上的移动。在原子距离尺度上移动微米到毫米大小的结构是纳米技术进步的主要挑战之一。在这个水平上的控制将使许多纳米机械设备成为可能，比如那些通过改变量子势垒之间的间隙来调整电子态位置的设备。目前的半导体光发射器和探测器的可调性限制在其基频的10%左右。电子量子态控制可以将带间跃迁的调谐扩展到30%，将子带间跃迁的调谐扩展到接近其由带偏移和热展宽决定的基本极限。这个为期一年的课程包括理论，实验和设计工作，这使它成为培养研究生和高级本科生的理想选择。此外，该计划还可能包括通过双子城地区当地学区之一的导师计划为一名或多名高中生提供研究机会。明尼苏达大学有几个可用的教育项目，将用于招募本科生参与研究，包括nsf资助的REU项目，针对代表性不足和规模较小的大学生，本科研究机会项目（UROP）和部门高级荣誉项目。

Actuators for Angstrom-scale Movement of micromachined devices(Joseph Talghader)The objective of this proposal is to demonstrate electrostatic actuation capable ofangstrom-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 levelcontrol as measured using either interferometry, electrical tunneling between electrodes separatedby a nanometer-scale gap, or shifts in the peak wavelength of the photoluminescence across thewedge. 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.