Stiction of a Nano-Beam with Surface Effect

Nanowire stiction is a crucial bottleneck for the development of M/NEMS devices. We present a model of a nano-beam stuck to the substrate in consideration of both surface elasticity and residual surface stress. The critical detachment length can be derived from the transversality condition using the variational method. The effects of the surface parameters on the adhesion of the nano-beam are discussed in detail. These analyses provide some suggestions for engineers in the design and fabrication of more accurate M/NEMS instruments. (condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties)