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Switching Voltage in a Carbon Nanotube Memory Device

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Paul von Allmen
Affiliation:
pva@jpl.nasa.gov, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, United States
Trinh Vo
Affiliation:
trinh.vo@jpl.nasa.gov, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, United States
Krikor Megerian
Affiliation:
krikor.megerian@jpl.nasa.gov, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, United States
Richard Baron
Affiliation:
richard.baron@jpl.nasa.gov, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, United States
Anupama B Kaul
Affiliation:
anupama.kaul@jpl.nasa.gov, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, United States
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Abstract

Multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWNT) have stable elastic properties over a wide range of deformation amplitudes and their high polarizability is conducive to efficient bending in the inhomogeneous electric field close to patterned electrodes. We simulate the static switching properties of the MWNT using a custom NEMS simulation package. The MWNT is modeled as a solid cylinder with Young�s modulus taken in a range consistent with recent experimental data in the literature. The polarizability of the MWNT is obtained from empirical expressions in the literature. The static equilibrium equations for the bending of the MWNT in an electric field are solved for realistic geometry of the electrodes. The spatial distribution of electric field distribution in the vicinity of the tubes and the electrodes is obtained from a finite element solution of the Poisson equation. A Monte Carlo approach yields the switching voltage as a function of MWNT mechanical properties and electrode geometry, where a Gaussian distribution is assumed for the parametric variations.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2009

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References

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