Applications of the Casimir Force in Nanotechnology

AbstractThe advances in integrated circuit fabrication techniques based on photolithography and electron beam lithography and plasma and chemical etching have now allowed fabrication of mechanical and electromechanical devices with sizes ranging from microns to nanometers. With device dimensions shrinking to nanometers, the important role of Casimir forces in nanoscale devices is well recognized. This chapter analyzes both the theoretical and the experimental aspects of the role of electrostatic and Casimir forces in microelectromechanical systems. The first such system actuated by the Casimir force, and a nonlinear micromechanical Casimir oscillator are considered. Special attention is paid to the interaction of atoms with multiwalled and single-walled carbon nanotubes. At the end of the chapter, some prospective applications of the Casimir force in nanotechnology are discussed.