Physics of Carbon Nanotube Devices

Chapter 5. Electromechanical Devices

The impact of mechanical deformations on the electronic structure and electronic transport properties of materials is of both fundamental and applied interest. One example of this is the recent development of strained silicon by the semiconductor industry, which leads to increased carrier mobility and improved transistor performance. Another example is the intense research and development work in the area of Micro ElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS). Carbon nanotubes are particularly promising for Nano ElectroMechanical Systems (NEMS) because of their high structural strength, small size, high aspect ratio, and small weight. As we will see in this chapter, device demonstrations in this area include actuators, ...