Nanomechanical switches and circuits

A nanomechanical switch comprising:

• a substrate;
• formed on the substrate, an emitter electrode including a cantilever element extending from the emitter electrode, the emitter being formed of a material having a magnetic permeability greater than one;
• a base electrode formed on the substrate, at least a portion of the base electrode being beneath the cantilever element;
• a collector electrode formed on the substrate adjacent the base electrode, at least a portion of the collector electrode being beneath the cantilever element and being formed of a material having a magnetic permeability greater than one;
• and
• a current source coupled to the base electrode.

A logic circuit comprising:

• an insulating material;
• a first pad formed on the insulating material;
• a first cantilever element having a first end connected to the first pad and a free end extending substantially horizontally over and spaced apart from the insulating material;
• a second pad formed on the insulating material and lying at least in part beneath the first cantilever element;
• a third pad formed on the insulating material and lying at least in part beneath the first cantilever element;
• and
• a voltage source connected to the second pad, wherein the free end of the cantilever element deflects toward the third pad in response to a voltage being applied to the second pad, thus allowing current flow between the first and second pads.

28 A complementary pair nanomechanical circuit comprising:

• a gate electrode formed on a substrate;
• an output electrode formed on the substrate and having a cantilever member integral therewith, the cantilever member being spaced apart from the plane of the substrate and overlying a portion of the gate electrode, the cantilever member having a free end that is deflected from its normal position to a deflected position in response to an electrostatic attraction between the cantilever member and the gate electrode;
• a source electrode lying at least in part beneath the free end of the cantilever member, and positioned such that the free end of the cantilever member contacts the source electrode when in deflected from its normal position;
• and
• a drain electrode lying at least in part above the free end of the cantilever member, and positioned such that the free end of the cantilever member contacts the drain electrode when in its normal position.

29 A complementary pair nanomechanical circuit comprising:

• a first electrode having formed therewith a laterally extending cantilever member, the cantilever member having a free end having a normal position and a first deflected position in a first direction of an axis of motion, and a second deflected position in a second direction of the axis of motion;
• a first control electrode positioned adjacent but spaced apart from the cantilever member in the first direction;
• a drain electrode positioned adjacent but spaced apart from the free end of the cantilever member in the first direction;
• a second control electrode positioned adjacent but spaced apart from the cantilever member in the second direction;
• and
• a source electrode positioned adjacent but spaced apart from the free end of the cantilever member in the second direction.

An integrated circuit comprising:

• a substrate;
• a power conductor;
• a ground conductor;
• an input terminal;
• a logic circuit comprising a plurality of nanomechanical switches, at least one nanomechanical switch being coupled to said power conductor, and at least one nanomechanical switch being coupled to said ground conductor, each nanomechanical switch comprising:
• a first electrode;
• a second electrode
• a third electrode having a cantilever member extending substantially parallel to the substrate and extending over the first and second electrodes;
• and
• a voltage source coupled between the first and second electrodes, wherein the cantilever member has an undeflected state when no bias is applied between the first and third electrodes, and a deflected state when a bias is applied between the first and second electrodes.