Tunable nanoelectromechanical resonator for logic computations

Abstract

There has been remarkable interest in nanomechanical computing elements that can potentially lead to a new era in computation due to their re-configurability, high integration density, and high switching speed. Here we present a nanomechanical device capable of dynamically performing logic operations (NOR, NOT, XNOR, XOR, and AND). The concept is based on the active tuning of the resonance frequency of a doubly-clamped nanoelectromechanical beam resonator through electro-thermal actuation. The performance of this re-configurable logic device is examined at elevated temperatures, ranging from 25 °C to 85 °C, demonstrating its resilience for most of the logic operations. The proposed device can potentially achieve switching rate in μs, switching energy in nJ, and an integration density up to 10⁶ per cm². The practical realization of this re-configurable device paves the way for nano-element-based mechanical computing.