Fabrication of a rotary carbon nanotube bearing test apparatus

[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.

[发布机构] Draper Laboratory, 555 Technology Square, Cambridge; MA; 02139, United States^1;Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusets Ave., Cambridge; MA; 02139, United States^2

[效力级别] 能源学

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