Stress-Configurable Nanoelectronic Device Structure, Intermediate Product, and Method for Producing a Nanoelectronic Device Structure

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This invention introduces a method and structure for creating nanoelectronic devices wherein the mechanical stress (tension/strain) in nanostructures like graphene, carbon nanotubes, or nanowires can be locally and independently controlled during fabrication. The structure includes a substrate with cavities spanned by nanostructures held in tension using specially designed arms and sacrificial materials, allowing precise, stable, and scalable adjustment of mechanical strain in the nanomaterials and thus their electronic properties.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Highly sensitive nanoscale piezoresistive sensors for pressure, strain, or force detection in industrial and scientific equipment.
• Nanoelectromechanical resonators with tunable frequencies for use in telecommunications, signal processing, and sensing.
• Miniaturized, energy-efficient biosensors or chemical sensors capable of ultra-selective detection of molecules and gases.
• On-chip arrays of nanodevices for imaging mechanical stresses, environmental monitoring, or advanced diagnostics.
• Integration of 1D or 2D nanomaterial-based devices into next-generation microelectronics, including System-on-Chip or hybrid CMOS technologies.
• Self-calibrating or drift-compensated nanoelectronic circuits tailored for precision metrology.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Enables local, directionally independent tuning of mechanical strain (stress) in nanomaterials, unlocking their optimal electronic and sensing properties.
• Process is compatible with existing semiconductor manufacturing (wafer-scale, monolithic integration), ensuring scalability and reproducibility.
• Reduces device-to-device variability, enhancing uniformity and reliability for industrial production.
• Results in energy-efficient devices since no active periphery is needed to maintain mechanical strain—strain is 'set and forget.'
• Allows for multifunctional, high-density integration of sensor, actuator, and electronic functions in a single chip.
• Provides improved noise performance, sensitivity (including to pressure), and the potential for in-built self-calibration or drift compensation within nanodevices.
• Can utilize a broad range of nanomaterials (e.g., graphene, CNTs, nanowires), offering flexibility in device design.

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Patent Abstract

The invention relates to an intermediate product for producing a nanoelectronic component structure and to a nanoelectronic component structure, each of which has a substrate, at least one cavity formed therein, and at least one nanostructure which at least partly spans the respective cavity. The invention also relates to a method for producing a nanoelectronic component structure, wherein at least one cavity is introduced into a substrate, and each cavity is bridged by at least one nanostructure. The invention is to allow mechanical stress states in nanostructures to be adjusted in a decoupled manner from location and direction. This is achieved in that the nanoelectronic component structure according to the invention has at least one arm, which partly overlaps with the at least one cavity, on one side of the respective cavity, said arm being bent or shrunk at the arm end protruding beyond or into the respective cavity, wherein a gap is formed over the at least one cavity, and the at least one nanostructure is arranged on the respective arm so as to span the respective gap and is fixed between the respective arm and contact electrodes formed on each side of the gap.