A modified model for stability analysis of narrow-width NEMS tweezers: Corrections due to surface layer, scale dependency, and force distributions

Abstract

Stability analysis and modeling the electromechanical response of nanotweezers are crucial for reliable designing and manufacturing of these nano-devices. Herein, a modified model is developed for static and dynamic stability analyses of nanotweezers with low width to thickness ration (narrow width). The surface elasticity was employed in conjunction with the strain gradient theory to consider the coupled effects of scale dependency, i.e. size-dependency of material characteristics and surface layer. The nonlinear governing equation was solved using analytical Rayleigh-Ritz Method (RRM). The influence of various parameters is addressed including scale dependency, surface stresses, damping parameter, and dispersion forces on the stability of the tweezers. Furthermore, the maximum length and the minimum gap of the tweezers were computed, which are important design parameters.