MEMS device with nanowire standoff layer

1. A MEMS device, comprising:

a first member having a first surface;

a second member having a second surface, said first and second surfaces being separated by a gap that is closable by a MEMS actuation force applied to at least one of said first and second members; and

a standoff layer disposed on said first surface of said first member, said standoff layer providing standoff between said first and second surfaces upon a closing of said gap by said MEMS actuation force;

wherein said standoff layer comprises a plurality of nanowires anchored to said first surface and extending outward therefrom.

2. The MEMS device of claim 1 , wherein each of said plurality of nanowires comprises a material that is substantially nonconducting at a nominal operating voltage of the MEMS device.

3. The MEMS device of claim 2 , wherein said nanowire material is selected from the group consisting of SiC and high-bandgap dielectric materials.

4. The MEMS device of claim 1 , wherein said nanowires are disposed on said first surface according to a predetermined spatial pattern, and wherein each of said nanowires extends outward from said first surface at one of a plurality of predetermined angles nonparallel to said first surface.

5. The MEMS device of claim 1 , wherein said nanowires are disposed on said first surface in a random spatial pattern.

6. The MEMS device of claim 1 , wherein said nanowires extend outward from said first surface at random angles substantially nonparallel to said first surface.

7. The MEMS device of claim 1 , said plurality of nanowires being a first plurality of nanowires, said MEMS device further comprising a second plurality of nanowires anchored to said second surface and extending outward therefrom.

8. The MEMS device of claim 1 , said first surface comprising a semiconductor material, wherein said nanowires comprise a material that can be catalytically grown from said first surface according to a CMOS compatible process.

9. The MEMS device of claim 8 , wherein said nanowire material is selected from the group consisting of Si, Ge, SiC, Group III-V materials, and Group II-VI materials.

10. The MEMS device of claim 1 , wherein each of said first and second members including said first and second surfaces are electrically conductive, and wherein each of said nanowires comprises p-doped material at a first end and n-doped material at a second end to form a diode.

11. A method of fabricating a MEMS device, comprising:

forming a first member having a first surface and a second member having a second surface, said first and second surfaces being separated by a gap that is closable by a MEMS actuation force applied to at least one of said first and second members; and

growing a plurality of nanowires anchored to said first surface and growing outward therefrom, whereby said plurality of nanowires form a standoff layer providing standoff between said first and second surfaces upon a closing of said gap by said MEMS actuation force.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising forming a predetermined pattern of metallic islands on said first surface, wherein said growing the plurality of nanowires comprises catalytically growing the plurality of nanowires from said first surface at locations corresponding to said metallic islands.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein said forming said first and second members comprises:

prior to said forming the predetermined pattern, forming said first member in a first layer;

subsequent to said forming the predetermined pattern, forming a second layer above said first layer and said metallic islands, wherein said second layer is a sacrificial layer;

forming said second member in a third layer above said second layer such that at least a portion of said second layer is exposed; and

prior to said catalytically growing said plurality of nanowires, removing said second layer to expose said metallic islands.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

subsequent to said forming said first and second members including said gap therebetween, filling said gap with a colloidal solution containing metallic nanoparticles; and

drying said colloidal solution, whereby a first plurality of said metallic nanoparticles from said colloidal solution remain on said first surface at a first plurality of random locations;

wherein said growing the plurality of nanowires comprises catalytically growing said nanowires at said first plurality of random locations.

15. The method of claim 14 , said plurality of nanowires being a first plurality of nanowires, said drying said colloidal solution further resulting in a second plurality of metallic nanoparticles remaining on said second surface at a second plurality of random locations, the method further comprising catalytically growing a second plurality of nanowires extending outward from said second surface at said second plurality of random locations.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein said first member comprises a uniform crystalline structure at said first surface thereof, whereby each of said nanowires grows outward from said first surface at one of a plurality of predetermined angles substantially nonparallel to said first surface.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein said first member comprises a polycrystalline structure at said first surface thereof, whereby said nanowires grow outward from said first surface at random angles.

18. A method comprising operating a MEMS device to cause a mechanical closing of a gap between a first surface of a first member of the MEMS device and a second surface of a second member of the MEMS device, wherein at least said first surface comprises a plurality of nanowires anchored thereto and extending outward therefrom to form a standoff layer that provides standoff between said first and second surfaces upon said closing of said gap.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein said nanowires are disposed on said first surface according to a predetermined spatial pattern, and wherein each of said nanowires extends outward from said first surface at one of a plurality of predetermined angles substantially nonparallel to said first surface.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein said nanowires are disposed on said first surface in a random spatial pattern.