Integrated carbon nanotube arrays for reliable contact in electromechanical memory device

A reliable electromechanical memory device using aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) arrays as contact material has been developed. The aligned CNT arrays were integrated by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on microstructures making mechanical contact. The contact showed hysteretic pull-out and - in behaviors which enabled on - and off-state readout, and the memory logic was programmed based on adhesive force between the CNT arrays and actuation of shuttle. On the basis of intimate interfacial contact between CNT arrays, and remarkable electrical and mechanical properties of CNT, the reliability experiment showed durable contact characteristic for over 1.1×10⁶ cycles of 20 mA hot-switching operation.