MEMS/NEMS based on mono-, nano-, and ultrananocrystalline diamond films

Diamond, because of its unique physical, chemical, and electrical properties and the feasibility of growing it in thin-fi lm form, is an ideal choice as a material for the fabrication of reliable, long endurance, microelectromechanical/nanoelectromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS). However, various practical challenges, including wafer-scale thickness uniformity, CMOS compatibility, surface micromachining, and, more importantly, controlling the internal stress of the diamond fi lms, make this material more challenging for MEMS engineers. Recent advances in the growth of diamond fi lms using chemical vapor deposition have changed this landscape since most technical hurdles have been overcome, enabling a new era of diamond based MEMS and NEMS development. This article discusses a few examples of MEMS and NEMS devices that have been fabricated using mono-, nano-, and ultrananocrystalline diamond films as well as their performance