Surface analysis and surface nanoengineering of Nanoelectromechanical Systems at the atomic scale

NSF 0324416：纳米机电系统在原子尺度上的表面分析和表面纳米工程提议的研究目标是在原子尺度上研究和设计纳米机电系统（NEMS）的表面特性。在纳米级器件中，特别是在NEMS中，相当一部分原子是表面或近表面原子。NEMS中这些异常大的表面体积比可以产生新的行为-与散装固体明显不同。本文的方法将依赖于扫描探针显微镜（SPM）技术来获得对NEMS表面现象的物理理解。NEMS器件性能，如机械质量(Q)因子，将与表面性能相关联。在补充实验中，NEMS表面将使用成熟的技术进行修改，例如退火和溅射，以创建优化的设备。在教育方面，拟议的研究结果将在波士顿大学的研究生课程中传播，该课程涵盖了SPM，纳米力学和纳米电子学的各个方面。此外，该项目为培养学生的纳米技术提供了一个重要的机会：从事这些实验的研究生不仅将掌握尖端技术，如SPM、纳米制造和超快电子学，而且还将对表面科学和物理学的一些基本概念有一个良好的理解。

NSF 0324416: Surface analysis and surface nanoengineering of Nanoelectromechanical Systems at the atomic scaleThe objective of the proposed research is to investigate and engineer the surface properties of Nano-electro-mechanical Systems (NEMS) at the atomic scale. In nanoscale devices, in particular in NEMS, a significant fraction of the atoms are surface or near-surface atoms. These unusually large surface-to-volume ratios in NEMS can give rise to novel behavior-significantly different from those of bulk solids. The approach herein will rely on scanning probe microscopy (SPM) techniques to gain a physical understanding of surface phenomena in NEMS. NEMS device properties-such as mechanical quality (Q) factor-will then be correlated to the surface properties. In complementary experiments, NEMS surfaces will be modified using well established techniques-such as annealing and sputtering-to create optimized devices.Educationally, the results of the proposed research will be disseminated in a graduate course at Boston University that covers aspects of SPM, nanomechanics and nanoelectronics. Moreover, the project represents a significant opportunity in the training of students in nanotechnology: the graduate students working on aspects of these experiments will not only master cutting edge technologies-such as SPM, nano-fabrication and ultra-fast electronics-but also develop a sound understanding of some of the fundamental concepts in surface science and physics.