Systems and methods for operating a nanometer-scale cantilever beam with a gate electrode. An example system includes a drive circuit coupled to the gate electrode where a drive signal from the circuit may cause the beam to oscillate at or near the beam's resonance frequency. The drive signal includes an AC component, and may include a DC component as well. An alternative example system includes a nanometer-scale cantilever beam, where the beam oscillates to contact a plurality of drain regions.