Very low voltage, ultrafast nanoelectromechanical switches and resonant switches

A nanoelectromechnical switch, comprising:

• a substrate having a surface;
• a layer of conductive material in supported relation to said surface of said substrate, said layer of conductive material having defined therein a nanoelectromechanical switching structure, said nanoelectromechanical switching structure comprising:
• at least one contact electrode having a contact region and having an electrical signal terminal;
• at least one nanowire having at least one point of support in said layer of conductive material and having an electrical signal terminal, said nanowire configured to move along a plane situated within said layer of conductive material and relative to said at least one electrical contact in response to an electrical signal applied to a gate electrode to control an electrical conduction state between said at least one contact electrode and said nanowire to be a selected one of conduction and lack of conduction, said gate electrode disposed in proximity to said nanowire;
• and
• at least one pair of electrical terminals configured to provide connection of said switching structure to an external circuit;
• said nanoelectromechanical switching structure configured to respond to said signal applied to said gate electrode in a response time of less than 10 nanoseconds.