Fabrication and characterization of electrostatic oscillators based on CNT bundles

Abstract

Fabrication and characterization of electrostatic oscillators based on carbon nanotube (CNT) bundles have been demonstrated. Experimentally, different sizes of CNT bundles have been transferred from as-fabricated, vertically aligned CNT forests on the growth substrate onto the tip of metallic probes by a “pick, stick and break” process. When placed under an electrostatic field generated by a fixed DC bias, these CNT bundles moved laterally in the direction of the electrical field. Under AC excitations, CNT bundles vibrated back and forth following the driving frequencies. Analytically, the static deformation-voltage behavior of these electrostatic oscillators has been modeled by electrostatic bending approximation. These CNT bundles could function as oscillators for various applications in the general field of NEMS (Nanoelectromechanical Systems).