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Energy Consumption in Micro- and Nanoelectromechanical Relays
University of Bristol, School of Electrical, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, Bristol, U.K., BS8 1QU.
University of Bristol, School of Electrical, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, Bristol, U.K., BS8 1QU.
University of Bristol, School of Electrical, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, Bristol, U.K., BS8 1QU.
University of Southampton, School of Electronics and Computer Science, Southampton, U.K., SO17 1BJ.
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2025 (English)In: IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, ISSN 0018-9383, E-ISSN 1557-9646, Vol. 72, no 4, p. 1969-1976Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Electrostatically operated micro- and nanoelectromechanical (MEM/NEM) relays have been proposed as digital switches to replace transistors due to their sharp turn-on/off transient, zero leakage current between drain and source in the OFF-state, and capability to operate at far higher temperatures and radiation levels than CMOS. However, the different components associated with energy consumption in MEM/NEM relays, including the dynamic energy associated with charging the gate capacitance and static energy lost through substrate leakage, have not been investigated to date. Here, we present a detailed analysis of the energy consumption of NEM/MEM relays starting from first principles and compare against measurements carried out on silicon MEM relay prototypes. The dynamic energy consumed by a transistor in a binary switching transfer is accurately captured by 0.5CV2. This expression, which has also been used for relays, is only valid under the approximation of an unvarying capacitance C. However, the gate capacitance of an MEM/NEM relay varies as a function of gate voltage, as it is determined by the airgap between the gate electrode and the moving beam. We show how including this effect adds an extra term to the dynamic energy consumption expression. Furthermore, we investigate different current leakage mechanisms and devise a new method to estimate the substrate leakage current based on using the switching hysteresis of relays. The models, analyses, and measurement methodologies presented here constitute a set of essential techniques for accurate estimation of the energy consumption of MEM/NEM relays in ultralow power circuit applications.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) , 2025. Vol. 72, no 4, p. 1969-1976
Keywords [en]
Leakage energy, microelectromechanical, nanoelectromechanical, nanomechanical computing, relay, switching energy
National Category
Other Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Information Engineering Condensed Matter Physics
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-362540DOI: 10.1109/TED.2025.3537945ISI: 001457760300015Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-105002264120OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kth-362540DiVA, id: diva2:1952988
Note

QC 20250520

Available from: 2025-04-16 Created: 2025-04-16 Last updated: 2026-05-28Bibliographically approved
In thesis
1. Advances in Nanoelectromechanical Switch Integration: From Device-Level Fabrication to Circuit-Level Implementation
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Advances in Nanoelectromechanical Switch Integration: From Device-Level Fabrication to Circuit-Level Implementation
2026 (English)Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

The rapid growth of data-intensive applications such as edge computing, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things is pushing the limits of conventional CMOS electronics. In these systems, static leakage currents increasingly dominate power consumption. Nanoelectro-mechanical (NEM) switches are promising candidates for beyond-CMOS electronics due to their near-zero off-state leakage, abrupt switching characteristics, and robustness under extreme operating conditions, offering a route to dramatically reduce static power dissipation in future integrated circuits. However, practical NEM-based systems require scalable device architectures, reliable switch contacts, and CMOS-compatible integration strategies. This thesis addresses these challenges through the realization and integration of a CMOS-compatible NEM switch device library within commercial CMOS foundry platforms. The work investigates three complementary NEM switch architectures for logic and memory applications: a volatile three-terminal (3-T) switch, a volatile four-terminal (4-T) switch with decoupled actuation and signal paths, and a non-volatile seventerminal (7-T) switch. Building upon concepts established in earlier research within our group, the 3-T and 7-T devices are miniaturized and optimized through systematic studies of beam geometry and contact materials for low-voltage operation and improved switching behavior. A major contribution of this thesis is the optimization and experimental realization of the 4-T architecture, enabling body-bias-assisted reduction of the pull-in voltage and advanced circuit configurations. Two CMOS-compatible integration approaches are developed and experimentally validated: (1) Monolithic integration within the IMEC iSiPP50G silicon photonics SOI foundry platform, and (2) heterogeneous 3-D integration within the X-FAB XI10 SOI CMOS process. The first method enabled co-fabrication of all three NEM switch architectures on a single commercial foundry chip for the first time. Electrical characterization confirms volatile switching in the 3-T and 4-T devices, pull-in voltage reduction in the 4-T switch through body biasing, and both volatile and nonvolatile operation in the 7-T switch through contact engineering. However, in this approach, circuit scalability is limited by routing density inherent to planar integration, while Au contact stiction constrains switch reliability. The second approach addresses these limitations by vertically integrating the NEM device layer above the completed back-end-of-line (BEOL) through heterogeneously 3-D integration. This architecture alleviates routing constraints and improves device reliability using Ruthenium (Ru) switch contacts. Ru-coated devices demonstrate substantially improved cycling endurance, and a complementary inverter implemented with Ru-coated 3-T switches validates the feasibility of functional BEOL-integrated NEM circuits.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Stockholm: KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 2026. p. 161
Series
TRITA-EECS-AVL ; 2026:51
Keywords
Nanoelectromechanical (NEM) switches, CMOS foundry integration, nonvolatile memory, contact reliability, wafer bonding, beyond-CMOS logic circuits
National Category
Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Information Engineering
Research subject
Electrical Engineering
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-382596 (URN)978-91-8106-616-6 (ISBN)
Public defence
2026-08-19, F3, Lindstedtvägen 26, Stockholm, 15:00 (English)
Opponent
Supervisors
Funder
EU, Horizon 2020, 871740EU, Horizon 2020, 101092018
Note

QC 20260602

Available from: 2026-06-02 Created: 2026-05-28 Last updated: 2026-06-16Bibliographically approved

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Li, YingyingBleiker, Simon J.Niklaus, Frank

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