Examine to enhance the mechanical sustainability of thin-film structures

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The applicant proposes to develop an innovative and cost-effective monolithic micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) to accelerate the transfer of ultrathin film-based applications to the marketplace by enabling quantitative mechanical characterizations in situ high-resolution imaging systems, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). As silicon-based innovations have almost reached their physical limitations, the class of thin/ultra-thin film structures (i.e., two-dimensional materials (2DM)) is one of the most promising alternative building blocks due to their superior physical properties for next-generation electronics (e.g., photodetectors, field-effect transistors, solar cells) to support a range of disruptive technologies including augmented reality (AR), autonomous vehicles (AV) and Internet of Things (IoT). The market size of 2DM-based devices is projected to $203 billion by 2028 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15+%. While exotic lab-scale 2DM devices have been demonstrated with unprecedented performance, a critical step before they can be transferred to the marketplace is to assure their consistency in performance. However, it is much more challenging to evaluate the performance of ultrathin and delicate 2DM-based than silicon-based devices, especially the evaluation of their mechanical sustainability where dynamic loading to the nanofilms is required. Based on our previous development, we are proposing to develop a novel monolithic MEMS tailored for mechanical characterizations of 2DM films in situ SEM/TEM, which can be produced at a significantly lower cost than the unicorn product on the market. The MEMS-based system can also be conveniently adapted to enable characterizations of other properties of 2DM devices (e.g., electrical, mechano-electrical, thermal, etc.) in the future to work as a 'multi-meter' for 2DM-based devices. The estimated market size of testing equipment for 2DM-based devices is projected to be ~$2.2 billion in 2028, which made our work attractive to major Canadian distributors (Hitachi), MEMS manufacturers (C2MI), and end-users (UofT).