Fabrication of a rotary carbon nanotube bearing test apparatus

15th International Conference on Micro and Nanotechnology for Power Generation and Energy Conversion Applications

物理学;能源学

Cook, E.H.^1 ; Weinberg, M.S.^1 ; Spakovszky, Z.S.^2 ; Carter, D.J.D.^1

Draper Laboratory, 555 Technology Square, Cambridge

MA

02139, United States^1

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusets Ave., Cambridge

MA

02139, United States^2

关键词: Chemical vapour deposition;    Drive mechanism;    Laboratory demonstrations;    Manufacturable process;    Microelectromechanical system (MEMS);    Relative motion;    Testing apparatus;    Vertical Bearing;   

Others  :  https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1742-6596/660/1/012081/pdf
DOI  :  10.1088/1742-6596/660/1/012081

来源: IOP

【 摘 要 】

Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) are attractive elements for bearings in Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS), because their structure comprises nested shells with no bonding and sub-nanometre spacing between them, enabling relative motion with low friction and wear. A reliable bearing technology is critical to bringing rotating MEMS machines from laboratory demonstrations to common use. We report here the design and fabrication of a test rotor, a testing apparatus and testing attempts, and integration of CNTs with MEMS. The device improves on existing CNT bearing demonstrators by establishing a vertical bearing orientation (enabling superior rotor balance and speed, and drive mechanism placement flexibility) and a manufacturable process (employing CNTs grown in place by chemical vapour deposition (CVD)). The main outstanding challenge to demonstrating rotation is available CVD CNT quality.