Microelectromechanical structures (MEMS) are used commercially in sensor applications and in recent years much research effort has been done to implement them in wireless communication. Electron beam lithography and other advancements in fabrication technology allowed to shrink the size of MEMS to nanomechanical systems (NEMS). Since NEMS are just a couple of 100 nm in size, highly integrated sensor applications are possible. Since NEMS consume only little energy, this will allow continuous monitoring of all the important functions in hospitals, in manufacturing plants, on aircrafts, or even within the human body. This thesis discusses the modeling of NEM resonators. Loss mechanisms of macroscale resonators, and how they apply to NEM resonators, will be reviewed. Electron beam lithography and the fabrication process of Silicon NEM resonator will be described. The emphasis of this work was to build a test setup for temperature dependant measurements. Therefore different feasible techniques to detect nanoscale vibration will be compared and the setup used in this work will be discussed. The successful detection of nanoscale vibration and preliminary results of the temperature dependence of the quality factor of a paddle resonator will be reported. A new approach to fabricate NEM resonator using electrofluidic assembly will be introduced. / Master of Science

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / According to the von Neumann-Landauer principle (VNL) for every bit of information lost during a computation, kT ln 2 amount of heat is dissipated into the environment. Irreversible logic, the basis of modern computing, inevitably leads to loss of information and is thus fundamentally bound by the VNL principle. However, its validity has been challenged since its inception and the case concerning its legitimacy is still open. Due to the tiny energy scales involved, this debate has been entirely academic in nature and an experimental test of the VNL principle is highly desired by both proponents and skeptics. Such a test would entail contrasting the energy dissipation of irreversible and reversible logic. In particular, we need to perform a non trivial logic both reversibly and irreversibly based on identical technology, testing whether or not energy dissipation for the reversible computation can be less than VNL limit while the irreversible computation is limited by the VNL limit. Reversible logic does not entail information loss, and hence is not bound by the VNL limit. It offers the potential for indefinite performance improvements of digital electronics. Bennett's Turing machine first proved that any computation can be performed reversibly and, in the proper limit, without energy cost. This promise of computing for free has spurred Fredkin, Toffoli, Wilczek, Feynman and others to propose reversible logic gates, though very few experimentally-realized reversible logic gates have since been reported. Here, we experimentally demonstrate for the first time the core of a logically reversible, CMOS-compatible, scalable nanoelectromechanical Fredkin gate, a universal logic gate from ... [TRUNCATED] / 2999-01-01

Graphene, a two dimensional monolayer carbon sheet with the atoms tightly packed in a hexagonal lattice, has exhibited so many excellent properties, which enable graphene to break several material records with regard to carrier mobility, strength yield and thermal conductivity to name a few. Therefore, graphene has been placed as a potential candidate to allow truly next-generation material. Graphene is a zero band gap material, implying that an energy band gap around the Dirac point is supposed to be open to make graphene applicable as a semiconductor. Covalent bond graphene functionalization becomes an essential enabler to open the energy gap in graphene and extend graphene applications in electronics, while the densely packed hexagonal carbon atoms as well as the strong sp2 hybridization carbon-carbon bonds jointly result in a changeling topic of allowing graphene to be decorated with functional groups. Here in this thesis, different routes to realize graphene functionalizations are implemented by using physical and chemical ways. The physical functionalization methods are the ion/electron beam induced graphene fluorination as well as local defect insertion and the chemical ways correspond to the photochemistry techniques to approach hydrogenation and hydroxypropylation of graphene. Furthermore, to incorporate graphene into devices, the tuning of mechanical properties of graphene is desired. Towards this aim, the structure modification of graphene is employed to investigate the nanometer size-effect of crystalline size of graphene on the mechanical properties, namely Young’s modulus and surface energy. In the process of the graphene hydrogenation project, we discovered a high yield way to synthesis high quality graphene nanoscroll (GNS). Interestingly, the GNS shows superadhesion property through our atomic force microscopy measurements. This superadhesion is around 6-order stronger than van der Waals interaction and even higher than the hydrogen bonding enhanced and solid/liquid interfaces.

Nanohilos de silicio obtenidos mediante el mecanismo de vapor-liquido-solido (VLS) ofrecen extraordinarias propiedades para aplicaciones en dispositivos nanomecánicos. Su calidad estructural (baja densidad de defectos, superficie lisa) y sus propiedades mecánicas únicas (auto-ensamblado robusto, alta rigidez y piezoresistencia gigante) junto con, recientes progresos en el control del crecimiento, prometen permitir un funcionamiento sin precedentes para una gran variedad de sistemas. Sin embargo, la fabricación generalmente está limitada a prototipos y más esfuerzos para conseguir un control simultáneo de las propiedades de los nanohilos y la posición son necesarios. Esta tesis ha sido centrada en el desarrollo de tecnologías de fabricación con alto rendimiento/ a gran escala de dispositivos basados en nanohilos de silicio que exploten sus propiedades excepcionales. Tecnologías de fabricación para el crecimiento selectivo de matrices de nanohilos de silicio y de nanohilos individuales en dispositivos funcionales han sido desarrolladas y posteriormente adaptadas para la fabricación de diversos dispositivos basados en nanohilos. En particular, el diseño, la fabricación y la caracterización de un cantilever piezoresistivo en el que el elemento de sensado está compuesto por una matriz de nanohilos ha sido demostrado. Los coeficientes piezoresistivos gigantes característicos de los nanohilos de Silicio se trasladan en un incremento en la sensibilidad mecánica comparada con dispositivos basados en silicio volumétrico. Por otro lado, se ha realizado la fabricación de resonadores nanomecánicos basados en nanohilos individuales. La caracterización de estos dispositivos demostró que los nanhilos individuales son excepcionales plataformas para el desarrollo de sensores de masa ultra sensibles y para el estudio de propiedades fundamentales de estructuras nanomecánicas. / Silicon nanowires obtained via vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism offer many extraordinary properties for applications in nanomechanical devices. Their structural quality (low defect density, surface flatness) and unique mechanical properties (robust self-assembly, high stiffness, giant piezoresistance) together with, recent advances in growth control, promise to allow unprecedented performance of wide variety of systems. However, device fabrication is generally limited to prototype fabrication and more efforts to achieve simultaneous control of nanowire properties and location are needed. This thesis has been focused towards the development of high yield/ large scale fabrication technologies based on catalyst grown Si nanowire to realize devices that exploit their exceptional properties. Fabrication technologies for the selective growth of silicon nanowire arrays and single nanowire on functional devices have been developed and posteriorly adapted for the fabrication of several nanowire based devices. In particular, the design, fabrication and characterization of a piezoresistive cantilever in which the active sensor is composed of an horizontal Si nanowire array has been demonstrated. Giant piezoresistance coefficients characteristics of Si nanowires are translated into an increment in the cantilever mechanical sensitivity compared with similar bulk devices. On the other hand, the fabrication of nanomechanical resonators based on single nanowires for mass sensing applications with different transduction mechanims has been performed. The characterization of these devices proved that single nanowires are exceptional platforms to develop ultra-high sensitive mass sensors and to study fundamental properties of nanomechanical structures.

This study presents a systematic investigation of two types of soft biomaterials: phospholipid-based microbubbles (MBs) and agarose hydrogels, using atomic force microscopy (AFM) force-distance curves. Microbubbles are used widely in several applications, especially in medical applications, where they are used as ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs) and as vehicles for transporting the drugs and genes to their targets, which is commonly known as drug/gene delivery. Although plenty of attention has been paid to these materials by medical researchers there is a shortage of engineering research on the properties of these materials. The present study tries to address this gap by studying these materials from the engineering perspective; therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the mechanical properties of MBs and hydrogels. In this research, phospholipid-based microbubbles (MBs), commercially called SonoVue® microbubbles and used as UCAs, were investigated to measure their mechanical properties using an AFM mode of operation called force-distance curves (or force spectroscopy mode); this mode allows for direct mechanical tests to acquire the force-deformation (F-Δ) behaviour of the MBs. The compression tool was a flat (tipless) cantilever moved at constant speed, whereas the variable was MB size. The MBs behaviour was assessed by calculating several mechanical properties, which were the stiffness, Young's modulus (three different models were applied), hysteresis, plasticity, adhesion forces, nonlinearity and instability. The stiffness and the Young's modulus values were measured to be in the same range as found in similar studies. A phenomenon was observed that the local stiffness of the MB increases after each unstable step provided that the MB stays within the linear elastic region. The Young's modulus was calculated applying three models, two for estimating the elastic modulus of the shell and the third for modulus of elasticity of the whole MB. The stretching component of the membrane theory was found to provide the best prediction of the Young's modulus value. To investigate the effect of the tip geometry on the mechanical properties of the MBs, the MBs were studied with different cantilever/tips, including a conical-tipped cantilever. The study concluded that there is no impact of the contact geometry on the mechanical properties of the MBs if the applied forces and the spring constant of the cantilever are the same. The same phenomenon, increasing the local stiffness of the MB after each unstable step, was found however with a higher rate. Hydrogels were also studied in this research using AFM and adopting a nanoindentation technique. The indenter was a conical tip moving toward the sample surface with constant speed and applying similar forces on all samples, where the variable was the gel concentration. In addition to the previous mechanical properties, other properties were investigated, such as hardness, universal hardness and pressure. An effect of the gel concentration on the mechanical properties of the gels was observed. There is a difference in the results compared to those reported in the literature review, where some of the results are in the same range as those found here, while others were either higher or lower, due to the influence of factors such as the indenter geometry, the applied force and the load rate; moreover, it was found that the viscoelastic behaviour of the gels played a significant role.

Small scale renewable energy harvesting is an attractive solution to the growing need for power in remote technological applications. For this purpose, localized thermal gradients on-chip—created via radiative cooling—could be exploited to produce microscale renewable heat engines running on environmental heat. This could allow self-powering in small scale portable applications, thus reducing the need for non-renewable sources of electricity and hazardous batteries. In this work, we demonstrate the creation of a local thermal gradient on-chip by radiative cooling of a 90 nm thick freestanding silicon nitride nanomechanical resonator integrated on a silicon substrate at ambient temperature. The reduction in temperature of the thin film is inferred by tracking its mechanical resonance frequency, under high vacuum, using an optical fiber interferometer. Experiments were conducted on 15 different days during fall and summer months, resulting in successful radiative cooling in each case. Maximum temperature drops of 9.3 K and 7.1 K are demonstrated during the day and night, respectively, in close correspondence with our heat transfer model. Future improvements to the experimental setup could enhance the temperature reduction to 48 K for the same membrane, while emissivity engineering potentially yields a maximum theoretical cooling of 67 K with an ideal emitter. This thesis first elaborates a literature review on the field of radiative cooling, along with a theoretical review of relevant thermal radiation concepts. Then, a heat transfer model of the radiative cooling experiment is detailed, followed by the experimental method, apparatus, and procedures. Finally, the experimental and theoretical results are presented, along with future work and concluding remarks.

Nanomechanical resonators (NR) are cantilevers or doubly clamped nanowires (NW) which vibrate at their resonance frequency. These nanowires with picogram-level mass and frequencies of the order of MHz can resolve added mass in the attogram (10-18 g) range, enabling detection of a few molecules of cancer biomarkers based on the shift in resonance frequency. Such biomarker detection can help in the early stage detection of cancer and also aid in monitoring the treatment procedure in a more advanced stage. Optical transduction is one of the methods to measure the resonance frequency of the cantilever. However, there is a dependence of measured resonance frequency on the polarization of light and the laser power coupled as thermal energy into the cantilever during the measurement. This thesis presents a numerical model of the nanocantilever and shows the variation in resonance frequency and amplitude due to varied amounts of energy absorption by the NW from the laser during resonance measurements. This thesis answers questions on the effects of laser heating by calculating the temperature distribution in the NW, which changes the Young’s modulus and stiffness, causing a resonance downshift. It also shows the variation of resonance amplitude, affecting signal strength in measurements, by considering the effects of structural damping. In this work, a numerical model of the nanowire was analyzed to determine the temperature rise of the NW due to laser heating. The maximum temperature was calculated to be about 500 K with 1 mW of laser power absorbed in Silicon NWs and it is shown that the nanowire tip would reach its melting point for about 2.6 mW of laser power absorbed by it. The resonance shift due to attained temperature of the NW was calculated. The frequency is predicted to decrease by 24 kHz for a 11.6 MHz resonator, when 2mW of laser power is absorbed. However, the frequency shift is mode-dependent and is larger for higher modes. The variation in vibration amplitude around the resonance peaks is calculated based on the effects of structural damping. This can be used to decide on the suspension height of the NW above the substrate, before fabrication. This calculation also provides a method to study the variation in material damping due to temperature. Finally, a semi-analytical method for calculating the frequency of a cantilever beam with varying Young’s modulus is derived to examine the validity of the results calculated above. An effective Young’s modulus value for the laser heated NW is given, which serves as a correction factor for the resonance shift. The derivation is then extended to calculate the resonance shift with an addition of a mass to the beam of varying Young’s modulus. / Graduate / 2019-12-13

Nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) have drawn considerable attention towards several sensing applications such as force, spin, charge and mass. These devices due to their smaller size, operate at very high frequencies (MHz - GHz) and have very high quality factors (102 -105). However, the early onset of nonlinearity limits the linear dynamic range of these devices. In this work we investigate the nonlinearities and their effect on the performance of graphene based NEMS. Electromechanical devices based on 2D materials are extremely sensitive to strain. We studied the effect of strain on the performance of single layer Graphene NEMS and show how the strain in Graphene NEMS can be tuned to increase the range of linear operation. Electromechanical properties of the doubly clamped graphene resonators deviates from the flat rectangular plate as the former possesses geometrical imperfections which are sometimes orders of magnitude larger than the thickness of the resonator. Due to these imperfections we report an initial softening behavior, turning to strong hardening nonlinearity for larger vibration amplitude in the back-bone curve. We have also studied the frequency stability of graphene resonators. Frequency stability analysis indicates departure from the nominal frequency of the resonator with time. We have used Allan Variance as a tool to characterize the frequency stability of the device. Frequency stability of graphene resonator is studied in an open loop configuration as a function of temperature and bias voltage. The thesis concludes with a remark on the future work that can be carried out based on the present studies.

The thesis examines the adhesive interaction between graphite layers and atomically thin MoS2 crystals. Vertical van der Waals(vdW) heterostructures are fabricated by stacking different two-dimensional (2D) materials on top of each other. Blister test is used to measure the adhesive interactions between 2D heterostructures and their transferred substrates and between the layers themselves. This adhesive interaction is important in maintaining the mechanical integrity of the device during mechanical loadings and its understanding will help pave the way to the design and fabrication of micromechanical device from 2D heterostructures. Furthermore, applying controlled strains can be used to alter the electrical and optical properties thereby improving efficiency and performance. At first, we grew MoS2 and graphene by CVD and stacked the layers on top of each other using a dry transfer method. The MoS2/graphene heterostructure was then transferred onto pre-etched cavities on a silicon wafer. The blister test was used for controllably introducing strain into the heterostructure. Atomic Force Microscopy was used for measuring the shape of the deformed blister and Raman and Photoluminescence(PL) measured the optical response. The strain mismatch between the biaxial strain and a PL-converted strain suggests crumpling of the graphene layer and a substantial softening of the mechanical response. Lastly, we created graphite holes with photolithography to measure the work of separation between an atomically smooth graphite surface and MoS2. We found this value to be at least 320mJ/m2 which is higher than the MoS2/SiOx areas that was previously studied. / 2023-07-02T00:00:00Z

Master of Science / Department of Physics / Robert Szoszkiewicz / Proteins are involved in many of the essential cellular processes, such as cell adhesion, muscle function, enzymatic activity or signaling. It has been observed that the biological function of many proteins is critically connected to their folded conformation. Thus, the studies of the process of protein folding have become one of the central questions at the intersection of biophysics and biochemistry. We propose to use the changes of the nanomechanical properties of these biomolecules as a proxy to study how the single proteins fold. In the first steps towards this goal, the work presented in this thesis is concentrated on studies of unfolding forces and pathways of one particular multidomain protein, as well as on development of the novel method to study elastic spring constant and mechanical energy dissipation factors of simple proteins and peptides. In the first part of this thesis we present the results of the mean unfolding forces of the NRR region of the Notch1 protein. Those results are obtained using force spectroscopy techniques with the atomic force microscope (AFM) on a single molecule level. We study force-induced protein unfolding patterns and relate those to the conformational transitions within the protein using available crystal structure of the Notch protein and molecular dynamics simulations. Notch is an important protein, involved in triggering leukemia and breast cancers in metazoans, i.e., animals and humans. In the second part of this thesis we develop a model to obtain quantitative measurements of the molecular stiffness and mechanical energy dissipation factors for selected simple proteins and polypeptides from the AFM force spectroscopy measurements. We have developed this model by measuring the shifts of several thermally excited resonance frequencies of atomic force microscopy cantilevers in contact with the biomolecules. Next, we provided partial experimental validation of this model using peptide films. Ultimately, our results are expected to contribute in the future to the developments of medical sciences, which are advancing at a level, where human health and disease can be traced down to molecular scale.