Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Fabrication of Low Temperature Carbon Nanotube Vertical Interconnects Compatible with Semiconductor Technology
Published on: December 7, 2015
Tunable MEMS capacitors using vertical carbon nanotube arrays grown on metal lines
Anupama Arun1, Helene Le Poche, Tonio Idda
1Nanolab, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Abstract:
In this work, tunable MEMS capacitors are realized using a vertically grown carbon nanotube array. The vertical CNT array forms an effective CNT membrane, which can be electrostatically actuated like the conventional metal plates used in MEMS capacitors. The CNT membrane is grown on titanium nitride metal lines, with a Al/Fe bi-layer as buffer layer and catalyst material respectively, using chemical vapor deposition process. Two different anchor configurations are investigated. A maximum capacitance of 400 fF and maximum tunability of 5.8% is extracted from the S-parameter measurements. Using the tunable MEMS vertical array capacitor a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) is demonstrated showing promise for integrating CNTs for communications applications.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
MOS Capacitor
The metal gate is typically made from highly conductive materials such as aluminum or polysilicon. Beneath the metal gate lies a thin layer of...
Spherical and Cylindrical Capacitor
Conventionally, considering the symmetry, the electric field between the concentric shells of a spherical capacitor is directed radially outward. The magnitude of the field, calculated by...
Capacitors and Capacitance
When the conductors are two identical parallel plates, it is called a parallel plate capacitor. When battery terminals are...
Equivalent Capacitance
The following strategies are adopted to calculate...
Equivalent Capacitance
Capacitors
When a voltage source is connected to a capacitor, positive and negative charges accumulate on the opposite plates. This accumulation generates a potential difference that equals the product of the...

