NANO ELECTRO MECHANICAL SYSTEMS WITH SINGLE WALLED CARBON NANOTUBES AS FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS

Sensors are key components in mechatronic systems. Further system miniaturization will demand for continuous down-scaling of sensor functions in such systems most likely towards nano scale. Then new sensor device concepts will emerge to maintain performance, e.g. sensitivity, or to utilize unique functional properties of nano scale structures. This paper presents concepts to create nano electro mechanical sensors based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Suspended single walled CNT based cantilever and bridge structures and a membrane based CNT pressure sensor are introduced and discussed. Measurements on the pressure sensor prove metallic single walled CNTs as exceptional piezoresistive electro mechanical transducers with gauge factors above 200.