# US 2014/0154851 A1 · Non-volatile graphene nanomechanical switch

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- Number: US 2014/0154851 A1
- Document ID: US20140154851A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/971,165
- Filed: 2013-08-20
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2012-12-04
- Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation
- Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation
- Inventors: Dechao Guo; Shu-Jen Han; Fei Liu; Keith Kwong Hon Wong; Jun Yuan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140154851A1

## CPC

- H10D 30/025: {of vertical IGFETs (of VDMOS H10D30/0291; of vertical TFTs H10D30/0318)}
- H01H 1/0094: {Switches making use of nanoelectromechanical systems [NEMS]}
- B82Y 10/00: Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
- B82Y 40/00: Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
- Y10S 977/742: Carbon nanotubes, CNTs
- Y10S 977/842: for carbon nanotubes or fullerenes
- Y10S 977/938: Field effect transistors, FETS, with nanowire- or nanotube-channel region
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
- H01H: ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES (contact cables H01B7/10; electrolytic self-interrupters H01G9/18; emergency protective circuit arrangements H02H; switching by electronic means without contact-making H03K17/00)
- B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

Methods for making non-volatile switches include depositing gate material in a recess of a substrate; depositing drain metal in a recess of the gate material; planarizing the gate material, drain metal, and substrate; forming sidewalls by depositing material on the substrate around the gate material; forming a flexible conductive element between the sidewalls to establish a gap between the flexible conductive element and the gate material, such that the gap separating the flexible conductive element and the gate material is sized to create a negative threshold voltage at the gate material for opening a circuit; and forming a source terminal in electrical contact with the flexible conductive element.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for forming a non-volatile switch, comprising:
depositing gate material in a recess of a substrate;
depositing drain metal in a recess of the gate material;
planarizing the gate material, drain metal, and substrate;
forming sidewalls by depositing material on the substrate around the gate material;
forming a flexible conductive element between the sidewalls to establish a gap between the flexible conductive element and the gate material, wherein the gap separating the flexible conductive element and the gate material is sized to create a negative threshold voltage at the gate material for opening a circuit; and
forming a source terminal in electrical contact with the flexible conductive element.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the flexible conductive element is formed from graphene.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the flexible conductive element is a graphene ribbon.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising forming a top gate that applies a restorative force to the flexible conductive element to open the circuit when a top threshold voltage is applied.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the source terminal is formed over the flexible conductive element.