Volatile and Non-Volatile Nanoelectromechancial Switches with Ruthenium-Enhanced Nano Contacts

Yingying Li; Simon J. Bleiker; Elliott Worsey; Mukesh Kumar Kulsreshath; Jens Bolton; Lisa  Ehlert; I D B Pamunuwa; Frank Niklaus

doi:10.1109/Transducers61432.2025.11110616

Volatile and Non-Volatile Nanoelectromechancial Switches with Ruthenium-Enhanced Nano Contacts

Yingying Li, Simon J. Bleiker, Elliott Worsey, Mukesh Kumar Kulsreshath, Jens Bolton, Lisa Ehlert, I D B Pamunuwa, Frank Niklaus

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference Contribution (Conference Proceeding)

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Abstract

Nanoelectromechanical (NEM) switches have promising applications as volatile or non-volatile electronic switching elements in areas such as low-power logic, memory, and reconfigurable circuits. However, the reliability of nano-scale contacts in NEM switches remains a major challenge. While ruthenium (Ru) has been successfully used for micro-scale contacts in radio frequency (RF) MEMS switches with relatively large dimensions, Ru has not been explored as contact coating in NEM switches. Here, we investigate and demonstrate the effectiveness of Ru-coated nano-contacts in silicon NEM switches, enabling both volatile and non-volatile switching of NEM switches fabricated within the same NEM device layer. These findings have the potential to advance NEM switch technology for low-power and reconfigurable computing applications.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	2025 23rd International Conference on Solid-State Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems (Transducers)
Publisher	Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
Pages	2098-2101
Number of pages	4
ISBN (Electronic)	9798331513818
ISBN (Print)	9798331513825
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/Transducers61432.2025.11110616
Publication status	Published - 19 Aug 2025

Publication series

Name	International Conference on Solid State Sensors and Actuators (TRANSDUCERS)
Publisher	IEEE
ISSN (Print)	2167-0013
ISSN (Electronic)	2167-0021

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Li, Y., Bleiker, S. J., Worsey, E., Kulsreshath, M. K., Bolton, J., Ehlert, L., Pamunuwa, I. D. B., & Niklaus, F. (2025). Volatile and Non-Volatile Nanoelectromechancial Switches with Ruthenium-Enhanced Nano Contacts. In 2025 23rd International Conference on Solid-State Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems (Transducers) (pp. 2098-2101). (International Conference on Solid State Sensors and Actuators (TRANSDUCERS)). Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). https://doi.org/10.1109/Transducers61432.2025.11110616

Li, Yingying ; Bleiker, Simon J. ; Worsey, Elliott et al. / Volatile and Non-Volatile Nanoelectromechancial Switches with Ruthenium-Enhanced Nano Contacts. 2025 23rd International Conference on Solid-State Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems (Transducers). Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), 2025. pp. 2098-2101 (International Conference on Solid State Sensors and Actuators (TRANSDUCERS)).

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title = "Volatile and Non-Volatile Nanoelectromechancial Switches with Ruthenium-Enhanced Nano Contacts",

abstract = "Nanoelectromechanical (NEM) switches have promising applications as volatile or non-volatile electronic switching elements in areas such as low-power logic, memory, and reconfigurable circuits. However, the reliability of nano-scale contacts in NEM switches remains a major challenge. While ruthenium (Ru) has been successfully used for micro-scale contacts in radio frequency (RF) MEMS switches with relatively large dimensions, Ru has not been explored as contact coating in NEM switches. Here, we investigate and demonstrate the effectiveness of Ru-coated nano-contacts in silicon NEM switches, enabling both volatile and non-volatile switching of NEM switches fabricated within the same NEM device layer. These findings have the potential to advance NEM switch technology for low-power and reconfigurable computing applications.",

author = "Yingying Li and Bleiker, \{Simon J.\} and Elliott Worsey and Kulsreshath, \{Mukesh Kumar\} and Jens Bolton and Lisa Ehlert and Pamunuwa, \{I D B\} and Frank Niklaus",

year = "2025",

month = aug,

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doi = "10.1109/Transducers61432.2025.11110616",

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series = "International Conference on Solid State Sensors and Actuators (TRANSDUCERS)",

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Li, Y, Bleiker, SJ, Worsey, E, Kulsreshath, MK, Bolton, J, Ehlert, L, Pamunuwa, IDB & Niklaus, F 2025, Volatile and Non-Volatile Nanoelectromechancial Switches with Ruthenium-Enhanced Nano Contacts. in 2025 23rd International Conference on Solid-State Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems (Transducers). International Conference on Solid State Sensors and Actuators (TRANSDUCERS), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), pp. 2098-2101. https://doi.org/10.1109/Transducers61432.2025.11110616

Volatile and Non-Volatile Nanoelectromechancial Switches with Ruthenium-Enhanced Nano Contacts. / Li, Yingying; Bleiker, Simon J.; Worsey, Elliott et al.
2025 23rd International Conference on Solid-State Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems (Transducers). Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), 2025. p. 2098-2101 (International Conference on Solid State Sensors and Actuators (TRANSDUCERS)).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference Contribution (Conference Proceeding)

TY - GEN

T1 - Volatile and Non-Volatile Nanoelectromechancial Switches with Ruthenium-Enhanced Nano Contacts

AU - Li, Yingying

AU - Bleiker, Simon J.

AU - Worsey, Elliott

AU - Kulsreshath, Mukesh Kumar

AU - Bolton, Jens

AU - Ehlert, Lisa

AU - Pamunuwa, I D B

AU - Niklaus, Frank

PY - 2025/8/19

Y1 - 2025/8/19

N2 - Nanoelectromechanical (NEM) switches have promising applications as volatile or non-volatile electronic switching elements in areas such as low-power logic, memory, and reconfigurable circuits. However, the reliability of nano-scale contacts in NEM switches remains a major challenge. While ruthenium (Ru) has been successfully used for micro-scale contacts in radio frequency (RF) MEMS switches with relatively large dimensions, Ru has not been explored as contact coating in NEM switches. Here, we investigate and demonstrate the effectiveness of Ru-coated nano-contacts in silicon NEM switches, enabling both volatile and non-volatile switching of NEM switches fabricated within the same NEM device layer. These findings have the potential to advance NEM switch technology for low-power and reconfigurable computing applications.

AB - Nanoelectromechanical (NEM) switches have promising applications as volatile or non-volatile electronic switching elements in areas such as low-power logic, memory, and reconfigurable circuits. However, the reliability of nano-scale contacts in NEM switches remains a major challenge. While ruthenium (Ru) has been successfully used for micro-scale contacts in radio frequency (RF) MEMS switches with relatively large dimensions, Ru has not been explored as contact coating in NEM switches. Here, we investigate and demonstrate the effectiveness of Ru-coated nano-contacts in silicon NEM switches, enabling both volatile and non-volatile switching of NEM switches fabricated within the same NEM device layer. These findings have the potential to advance NEM switch technology for low-power and reconfigurable computing applications.

U2 - 10.1109/Transducers61432.2025.11110616

DO - 10.1109/Transducers61432.2025.11110616

M3 - Conference Contribution (Conference Proceeding)

SN - 9798331513825

T3 - International Conference on Solid State Sensors and Actuators (TRANSDUCERS)

SP - 2098

EP - 2101

BT - 2025 23rd International Conference on Solid-State Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems (Transducers)

PB - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

ER -

Li Y, Bleiker SJ, Worsey E, Kulsreshath MK, Bolton J, Ehlert L et al. Volatile and Non-Volatile Nanoelectromechancial Switches with Ruthenium-Enhanced Nano Contacts. In 2025 23rd International Conference on Solid-State Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems (Transducers). Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). 2025. p. 2098-2101. (International Conference on Solid State Sensors and Actuators (TRANSDUCERS)). doi: 10.1109/Transducers61432.2025.11110616

Volatile and Non-Volatile Nanoelectromechancial Switches with Ruthenium-Enhanced Nano Contacts

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