Nanoelectromechanical Systems

Abstract

Nanoelectromechanical Systems (NEMS) development not only deserves special attention from the point of view of extending the level of miniaturization achieved in the case of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), but in addition, the distinct possibility of ultra sensitive detection of force, displacement and mass, expected on the basis of fundamental properties of NEMS components and devices, also provides major impetus as well. There seems to be no alternative to these special capabilities of NEMS devices at present. Mechanical counterpart of single electron transistor, realized by NEMS route, seems to be superior to the conventional semiconductor based one, as it can be operated even at elevated temperatures. Clear cut experimental measurement of thermal conductance quantization and the possibility of counting individual phonons add further dimensions to this fascinating field. It is quite likely that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) will be able to map species with single proton resolution using nanocantilever force detector. The progress, prospects and promises of NEMS technology are briefly reviewed in this work. Those fundamental concepts which show promise for more novel applications in times to come are highlighted.