NEM switch technologies for low-power logic applications

The abrupt switching characteristic of nano-electromechanical (NEM) switch devices is an attractive characteristic to design energy-efficient circuits. In this paper we report the optimization of an in-plane curved cantilever switch geometry for high robustness and low switching energy. The scaling potential has been evaluated, showing that sub-100 aj switching energy is possible. The curved cantilever design has been validated experimentally with good electrical characteristics and high mechanical robustness. © 2012 IEEE.