The goals of this research are to develop material processes, lithographic processes, and characterization techniques necessary for the fabrication of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). This research builds on previous research to expand knowledge of CVD tungsten processing for MEMS. The focus of this research will include: (1) the development of tungsten and silicon carbide multilevel, thin film processes compatible with current silicon and polysilicon technology; (2) the development of frame and truss structures to achieve high strength-to-weight structures analogous to framed macroscopic structures; (3) exploration of the fabrication of nanomechanical structures using electron beam lithography and compatible processes; (4) the development of time- resolved, high spatial resolution electron beam characterization techniques to probe motion, voltage distributions, and surface and bulk chemistry in MEMS; and (5) the development of integrated circuits, control algorithms and feedback systems to control on-chip MEMS.
