Silicon carbide micro- and nanoelectromechanical systems

Micro-and nanoelectromechanical systems (MEMS and NEMS) enable the development of smart products and systems by augmenting the computational ability of microelectronics with perception and control capabilities of micro/nanosensors and micro/nanoactuators. Silicon carbide (SiC) is well known for its excellent properties, making it an outstanding candidate as a structural material for MEMS and NEMS. This paper reviews some of the more significant accomplishments by our group in developing the 3C- polytype of SiC for MEMS and NEMS. Forming the cornerstone of this effort are two key thin film deposition systems that are used to deposit single crystalline and polycrystalline 3C-SiC films for bulk and surface micromachined devices. This paper presents an overview of these two deposition systems, their applicability in NEMS, as well as specific devices that have been fabricated using films from these reactors.