Developing nanoscale inertial sensor based on graphite-flake with self-retracting motion

We presented simple schematics of a nanoscale inertial measurement unit based on the self-retraction motion of the graphene flakes. When an external force is applied to the nanoscale graphite flake, the inertial force exerted on the movable layer can telescope it, then the self-restoring force also arises as the van der Waals force between the interlayers of the flake, which each suspended flake can automatically and fully retract back onto the top of the graphite platform immediately after the externally applied force is released. Since the van der Waals force linearly increases with the increasing size of the flake, the sensing limitation can be controlled. When the external force does not exceed the retracting force, this addressed nanoscale inertial measurement unit can be semi-permanently used. Therefore, the size and the thickness of the graphene flake should be carefully selected with a tradeoff. These graphite flakes can be utilized as a basic structure in various nanoelectromechanical devices, such as switch and memory, linear and angular accelerometers, and pressure sensors.