Mechanical characterization of a Au coated carbon nanotube multi-layered structure

Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube (MWCNT)-coated surfaces have been proved to be able to provide stable resistance for the electrical contact under low force conditions since they can offer a compliant support for the conducting gold layer. However, the contact mechanics of the Au/MWCNTs composite have not been understood. In this study, a finite element multilayered contact model was developed, in which the top layer was modeled as a composite and under layer was modeled as CNT forest. The study shows that this complex surface is best modeled as a multi-layered structure. The model is optimized and validated with nano-indenter data. The model can help to better understand the configuration and material properties of Au/CNTs surfaces, and can provide guidance to optimize the surface in terms of contact resistance performance in MEMS switches.