Design and fabrication of MEMS logic gates

• Published in: Journal of micromechanics and microengineering Vol. 18; no. 4; pp. 045001 - 045001 (10)
• Main Authors: Tsai, Chun-Yin, Kuo, Wei-Ting, Lin, Chi-Bao, Chen, Tsung-Lin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bristol IOP Publishing 01.04.2008; Institute of Physics
• Subjects: Exact sciences and technology; Instruments, apparatus, components and techniques common to several branches of physics and astronomy; Mechanical instruments, equipment and techniques; Micromechanical devices and systems; Physics; Resonance frequency; Metals; Switches; Experimental study; Video signals; Video techniques; Microelectromechanical device
• ISSN: 0960-1317; 1361-6439
• DOI: 10.1088/0960-1317/18/4/045001

This paper presents a novel design of MEMS logic gate that can perform Boolean algebra the same as logic devices that are composed of solid-state transistors. This MEMS logic gate design inherits all the advantages from MEMS switches and thus is expected to have more applications than MEMS switches. One unique feature of this device is that it can perform either NAND gate or NOR gate functions with the same mechanical structure but with different electrical interconnects. In a prototype design, the device is 250 mum long, 100 mum wide and has 1 mum gap. The experimental results show that this device can operate at 10/0 V and achieve the proposed logic functions. The resonant frequency of the device is measured roughly at 30 kHz. Due to no metal-to-metal contact in the current device, the logic functions of the design are verified through observations and video taping.