On the measurement of relaxation times of acoustic vibrations in metal nanowires.

PubMed

Devkota, Tuphan; Chakraborty, Debadi; Yu, Kuai; Beane, Gary; Sader, John E; Hartland, Gregory V

2018-06-25

The mechanical resonances of metal nanostructures are strongly affected by their environment. In this paper the way the breathing modes of single metal nanowires are damped by liquids with different viscosities was studied by ultrafast pump-probe microscopy experiments. Both nanowires supported on a glass substrate and nanowires suspended over trenches were investigated. The measured quality factors for liquid damping for the suspended nanowires are in good agreement with continuum mechanics calculations for an inviscid fluid that assume continuity in stress and displacement at the nanowire-liquid interface. This shows that liquid damping is controlled by radiation of sound waves into the medium. For the nanowires on the glass surface the quality factors for liquid damping are approximately 60% higher than those for the suspended nanowires. This is attributed to a shadowing effect. The nanowires in our measurements have pentagonal cross-sections. This produces two different breathing modes and also means that one of the faces for the supported nanowires is blocked by the substrate, which reduces the amount of damping from the liquid. Comparing the supported and suspended nanowires also allows us to estimate the effect of the substrate on the acoustic mode damping. We find that the substrate has a weak effect, which is attributed to poor mechanical contact between the nanowires and the substrate.

Fabrication and characterization of copper oxide (CuO)–gold (Au)–titania (TiO{sub 2}) and copper oxide (CuO)–gold (Au)–indium tin oxide (ITO) nanowire heterostructures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chopra, Nitin, E-mail: nchopra@eng.ua.edu; Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487; Shi, Wenwu

2014-10-15

Nanoscale heterostructures composed of standing copper oxide nanowires decorated with Au nanoparticles and shells of titania and indium tin oxide were fabricated. The fabrication process involved surfactant-free and wet-chemical nucleation of gold nanoparticles on copper oxide nanowires followed by a line-of-sight sputtering of titania or indium tin oxide. The heterostructures were characterized using high resolution electron microscopy, diffraction, and energy dispersive spectroscopy. The interfaces, morphologies, crystallinity, phases, and chemical compositions were analyzed. The process of direct nucleation of gold nanoparticles on copper oxide nanoparticles resulted in low energy interface with aligned lattice for both the components. Coatings of polycrystalline titaniamore » or amorphous indium tin oxide were deposited on standing copper oxide nanowire–gold nanoparticle heterostructures. Self-shadowing effect due to standing nanowire heterostructures was observed for line-of-sight sputter deposition of titania or indium tin oxide coatings. Finally, the heterostructures were studied using Raman spectroscopy and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, including band gap energy analysis. Tailing in the band gap energy at longer wavelengths (or lower energies) was observed for the nanowire heterostructures. - Highlights: • Heterostructures comprised of CuO nanowires coated with Au nanoparticles. • Au nanoparticles exhibited nearly flat and low energy interface with nanowire. • Heterostructures were further sputter-coated with oxide shell of TiO{sub 2} or ITO. • The process resulted in coating of polycrystalline TiO{sub 2} and amorphous ITO shell.« less

A Characteristic Mode Analysis of Conductive Nanowires and Microwires Above a Lossy Dielectric Half-Space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiddle, Daniel S.

Nanowires possess extraordinary mechanical, thermoelectric and electromagnetic properties which led to their incorporation in a wide variety of applications. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of material on the electromagnetic response of these nanowires. We used the Method of Moments (MOM) for Arbitrarily Thin Wire (ATW) formulation as an efficient computational technique for calculating the electromagnetic response of nanowires. To explain the calculated electromagnetic response, we evoked the Characteristic Mode Analysis (CMA) which decomposes the current on the wire into a superposition of fundamental current modes. These modes are weighted by two coefficients: (i) the relative importance of each mode at a certain frequency, termed Modal Significance, and (ii) the level of coupling between the incident field and the mode termed the Modal Excitation Coefficient. In this, work we study how the wire's material affect the Modal Significance and the Modal Excitation Coefficient of nanowires. Our results show that the material of the nanowire has a strong effect on the resonance frequency, the bandwidth, and the overlap of the modes showing that the material of the nanowire can be used as a tuning factor to develop sensors with desired radiation characteristics. Nanowires are commonly grown vertically on a substrate and, therefore, we also study the effect of the presence of a lossy dielectric half-space on their electromagnetic response. To efficiently account for this interface, we utilize a modified Green's function using the rigorous Sommerfeld integrals. Our results show that the relative permittivity of the substrate decreases the resonance frequencies of the nanowires and significantly alters their radiation patterns. Most importantly, we find that, if the nanowire is near the interface, its evanescent field's couple to the dielectric half space leading to the majority of the scattered power radiated into the substrate with high directivity. The results of this thesis has the potential to quantify the electromagnetic response of vertical nanowires in their realistic environment as well as facilitate the incorporation of nanowires in novel sensing applications.

Controlled fabrication of photoactive copper oxide-cobalt oxide nanowire heterostructures for efficient phenol photodegradation.

PubMed

Shi, Wenwu; Chopra, Nitin

2012-10-24

Fabrication of oxide nanowire heterostructures with controlled morphology, interface, and phase purity is critical for high-efficiency and low-cost photocatalysis. Here, we have studied the formation of copper oxide-cobalt nanowire heterostructures by sputtering and subsequent air annealing to result in cobalt oxide (Co(3)O(4))-coated CuO nanowires. This approach allowed fabrication of standing nanowire heterostructures with tunable compositions and morphologies. The vertically standing CuO nanowires were synthesized in a thermal growth method. The shell growth kinetics of Co and Co(3)O(4) on CuO nanowires, morphological evolution of the shell, and nanowire self-shadowing effects were found to be strongly dependent on sputtering duration, air-annealing conditions, and alignment of CuO nanowires. Finite element method (FEM) analysis indicated that alignment and stiffness of CuO-Co nanowire heterostructures greatly influenced the nanomechanical aspects such as von Mises equivalent stress distribution and bending of nanowire heterostructures during the Co deposition process. This fundamental knowledge was critical for the morphological control of Co and Co(3)O(4) on CuO nanowires with desired interfaces and a uniform coating. Band gap energies and phenol photodegradation capability of CuO-Co(3)O(4) nanowire heterostructures were studied as a function of Co(3)O(4) morphology. Multiple absorption edges and band gap tailings were observed for these heterostructures, indicating photoactivity from visible to UV range. A polycrystalline Co(3)O(4) shell on CuO nanowires showed the best photodegradation performance (efficiency ~50-90%) in a low-powered UV or visible light illumination with a sacrificial agent (H(2)O(2)). An anomalously high efficiency (~67.5%) observed under visible light without sacrificial agent for CuO nanowires coated with thin (∼5.6 nm) Co(3)O(4) shell and nanoparticles was especially interesting. Such photoactive heterostructures demonstrate unique sacrificial agent-free, robust, and efficient photocatalysts promising for organic decontamination and environmental remediation.

Fibroblasts Cultured on Nanowires Exhibit Low Motility, Impaired Cell Division, and DNA Damage

PubMed Central

Persson, Henrik; Købler, Carsten; Mølhave, Kristian; Samuelson, Lars; Tegenfeldt, Jonas O; Oredsson, Stina; Prinz, Christelle N

2013-01-01

Nanowires are commonly used as tools for interfacing living cells, acting as biomolecule-delivery vectors or electrodes. It is generally assumed that the small size of the nanowires ensures a minimal cellular perturbation, yet the effects of nanowires on cell migration and proliferation remain largely unknown. Fibroblast behaviour on vertical nanowire arrays is investigated, and it is shown that cell motility and proliferation rate are reduced on nanowires. Fibroblasts cultured on long nanowires exhibit failed cell division, DNA damage, increased ROS content and respiration. Using focused ion beam milling and scanning electron microscopy, highly curved but intact nuclear membranes are observed, showing no direct contact between the nanowires and the DNA. The nanowires possibly induce cellular stress and high respiration rates, which trigger the formation of ROS, which in turn results in DNA damage. These results are important guidelines to the design and interpretation of experiments involving nanowire-based transfection and electrical characterization of living cells. PMID:23813871

High-Yield Growth and Characterization of ⟨100⟩ InP p-n Diode Nanowires.

PubMed

Cavalli, Alessandro; Wang, Jia; Esmaeil Zadeh, Iman; Reimer, Michael E; Verheijen, Marcel A; Soini, Martin; Plissard, Sebastien R; Zwiller, Val; Haverkort, Jos E M; Bakkers, Erik P A M

2016-05-11

Semiconductor nanowires are nanoscale structures holding promise in many fields such as optoelectronics, quantum computing, and thermoelectrics. Nanowires are usually grown vertically on (111)-oriented substrates, while (100) is the standard in semiconductor technology. The ability to grow and to control impurity doping of ⟨100⟩ nanowires is crucial for integration. Here, we discuss doping of single-crystalline ⟨100⟩ nanowires, and the structural and optoelectronic properties of p-n junctions based on ⟨100⟩ InP nanowires. We describe a novel approach to achieve low resistance electrical contacts to nanowires via a gradual interface based on p-doped InAsP. As a first demonstration in optoelectronic devices, we realize a single nanowire light emitting diode in a ⟨100⟩-oriented InP nanowire p-n junction. To obtain high vertical yield, which is necessary for future applications, we investigate the effect of the introduction of dopants on the nanowire growth.

Fabrication and Gas-Sensing Properties of Ni-Silicide/Si Nanowires.

PubMed

Hsu, Hsun-Feng; Chen, Chun-An; Liu, Shang-Wu; Tang, Chun-Kai

2017-12-01

Ni-silicide/Si nanowires were fabricated by atomic force microscope nano-oxidation on silicon-on-insulator substrates, selective wet etching, and reactive deposition epitaxy. Ni-silicide nanocrystal-modified Si nanowire and Ni-silicide/Si heterostructure multi-stacked nanowire were formed by low- and high-coverage depositions of Ni, respectively. The Ni-silicide/Si Schottky junction and Ni-silicide region were attributed high- and low-resistance parts of nanowire, respectively, causing the resistance of the Ni-silicide nanocrystal-modified Si nanowire and the Ni-silicide/Si heterostructure multi-stacked nanowire to be a little higher and much lower than that of Si nanowire. An O 2 sensing device was formed from a nanowire that was mounted on Pt electrodes. When the nanowires exposed to O 2 , the increase in current in the Ni-silicide/Si heterostructure multi-stacked nanowire was much larger than that in the other nanowires. The Ni-silicide nanocrystal-modified Si nanowire device had the highest sensitivity. The phenomenon can be explained by the formation of a Schottky junction at the Ni-silicide/Si interface in these two types of Ni-Silicide/Si nanowire and the formation of a hole channel at the silicon nanowire/native oxide interface after exposing the nanowires to O 2 .

Vertical nanowire heterojunction devices based on a clean Si/Ge interface.

PubMed

Chen, Lin; Fung, Wayne Y; Lu, Wei

2013-01-01

Different vertical nanowire heterojunction devices were fabricated and tested based on vertical Ge nanowires grown epitaxially at low temperatures on (111) Si substrates with a sharp and clean Si/Ge interface. The nearly ideal Si/Ge heterojuctions with controlled and abrupt doping profiles were verified through material analysis and electrical characterizations. In the nSi/pGe heterojunction diode, an ideality factor of 1.16, subpicoampere reverse saturation current, and rectifying ratio of 10(6) were obtained, while the n+Si/p+Ge structure leads to Esaki tunnel diodes with a high peak tunneling current of 4.57 kA/cm(2) and negative differential resistance at room temperature. The large valence band discontinuity between the Ge and Si in the nanowire heterojunctions was further verified in the p+Si/pGe structure, which shows a rectifying behavior instead of an Ohmic contact and raises an important issue in making Ohmic contacts to heterogeneously integrated materials. A raised Si/Ge structure was further developed using a self-aligned etch process, allowing greater freedom in device design for applications such as the tunneling field-effect transistor (TFET). All measurement data can be well-explained and fitted with theoretical models with known bulk properties, suggesting that the Si/Ge nanowire system offers a very clean heterojunction interface with low defect density, and holds great potential as a platform for future high-density and high-performance electronics.

Fabrication of Ni-silicide/Si heterostructured nanowire arrays by glancing angle deposition and solid state reaction.

PubMed

Hsu, Hsun-Feng; Huang, Wan-Ru; Chen, Ting-Hsuan; Wu, Hwang-Yuan; Chen, Chun-An

2013-05-10

This work develops a method for growing Ni-silicide/Si heterostructured nanowire arrays by glancing angle Ni deposition and solid state reaction on ordered Si nanowire arrays. Samples of ordered Si nanowire arrays were fabricated by nanosphere lithography and metal-induced catalytic etching. Glancing angle Ni deposition deposited Ni only on the top of Si nanowires. When the annealing temperature was 500°C, a Ni3Si2 phase was formed at the apex of the nanowires. The phase of silicide at the Ni-silicide/Si interface depended on the diameter of the Si nanowires, such that epitaxial NiSi2 with a {111} facet was formed at the Ni-silicide/Si interface in Si nanowires with large diameter, and NiSi was formed in Si nanowires with small diameter. A mechanism that is based on flux divergence and a nucleation-limited reaction is proposed to explain this phenomenon of size-dependent phase formation.

Fabrication of Ni-silicide/Si heterostructured nanowire arrays by glancing angle deposition and solid state reaction

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

This work develops a method for growing Ni-silicide/Si heterostructured nanowire arrays by glancing angle Ni deposition and solid state reaction on ordered Si nanowire arrays. Samples of ordered Si nanowire arrays were fabricated by nanosphere lithography and metal-induced catalytic etching. Glancing angle Ni deposition deposited Ni only on the top of Si nanowires. When the annealing temperature was 500°C, a Ni3Si2 phase was formed at the apex of the nanowires. The phase of silicide at the Ni-silicide/Si interface depended on the diameter of the Si nanowires, such that epitaxial NiSi2 with a {111} facet was formed at the Ni-silicide/Si interface in Si nanowires with large diameter, and NiSi was formed in Si nanowires with small diameter. A mechanism that is based on flux divergence and a nucleation-limited reaction is proposed to explain this phenomenon of size-dependent phase formation. PMID:23663726

BioFET-SIM web interface: implementation and two applications.

PubMed

Hediger, Martin R; Jensen, Jan H; De Vico, Luca

2012-01-01

We present a web interface which allows us to conveniently set up calculations based on the BioFET-SIM model. With the interface, the signal of a BioFET sensor can be calculated depending on its parameters, as well as the signal dependence on pH. As an illustration, two case studies are presented. In the first case, a generic peptide with opposite charges on both ends is inverted in orientation on a semiconducting nanowire surface leading to a corresponding change in sign of the computed sensitivity of the device. In the second case, the binding of an antibody/antigen complex on the nanowire surface is studied in terms of orientation and analyte/nanowire surface distance. We demonstrate how the BioFET-SIM web interface can aid in the understanding of experimental data and postulate alternative ways of antibody/antigen orientation on the nanowire surface.

Significant reduction of thermal conductivity in Si/Ge core-shell nanowires.

PubMed

Hu, Ming; Giapis, Konstantinos P; Goicochea, Javier V; Zhang, Xiaoliang; Poulikakos, Dimos

2011-02-09

We report on the effect of germanium (Ge) coatings on the thermal transport properties of silicon (Si) nanowires using nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations. Our results show that a simple deposition of a Ge shell of only 1 to 2 unit cells in thickness on a single crystalline Si nanowire can lead to a dramatic 75% decrease in thermal conductivity at room temperature compared to an uncoated Si nanowire. By analyzing the vibrational density states of phonons and the participation ratio of each specific mode, we demonstrate that the reduction in the thermal conductivity of Si/Ge core-shell nanowire stems from the depression and localization of long-wavelength phonon modes at the Si/Ge interface and of high frequency nonpropagating diffusive modes.

Impedance analysis of PbS colloidal quantum dot solar cells with different ZnO nanowire lengths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukuda, Takeshi; Takahashi, Akihiro; Wang, Haibin; Takahira, Kazuya; Kubo, Takaya; Segawa, Hiroshi

2018-03-01

The photoconversion efficiency of colloidal quantum dot (QD) solar cells has been markedly improved by optimizing the surface passivation and device structure, and details of device physics are now under investigation. In this study, we investigated the resistance and capacitance components at the ZnO/PbS-QD interface and inside a PbS-QD layer by measuring the impedance spectrum while the interface area was controlled by changing the ZnO nanowire length. By evaluating the dependence of optical intensity and DC bias voltage on the ZnO nanowire length, only the capacitance was observed to be influenced by the interface area, and this indicates that photoinduced carriers are generated at the surface of PbS-QD. In addition, since the capacitance is proportional to the surface area of the QD, the interface area can be evaluated from the capacitance. Finally, photovoltaic performance was observed to increase with increasing ZnO nanowire length owing to the large interface area, and this result is in good agreement with the capacitance measurement.

Kinetic effects in InP nanowire growth and stacking fault formation: the role of interface roughening.

PubMed

Chiaramonte, Thalita; Tizei, Luiz H G; Ugarte, Daniel; Cotta, Mônica A

2011-05-11

InP nanowire polytypic growth was thoroughly studied using electron microscopy techniques as a function of the In precursor flow. The dominant InP crystal structure is wurtzite, and growth parameters determine the density of stacking faults (SF) and zinc blende segments along the nanowires (NWs). Our results show that SF formation in InP NWs cannot be univocally attributed to the droplet supersaturation, if we assume this variable to be proportional to the ex situ In atomic concentration at the catalyst particle. An imbalance between this concentration and the axial growth rate was detected for growth conditions associated with larger SF densities along the NWs, suggesting a different route of precursor incorporation at the triple phase line in that case. The formation of SFs can be further enhanced by varying the In supply during growth and is suppressed for small diameter NWs grown under the same conditions. We attribute the observed behaviors to kinetically driven roughening of the semiconductor/metal interface. The consequent deformation of the triple phase line increases the probability of a phase change at the growth interface in an effort to reach local minima of system interface and surface energy.

Effects of Asymmetric Local Joule Heating on Silicon Nanowire-Based Devices Formed by Dielectrophoresis Alignment Across Pt Electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ho, Hsiang-Hsi; Lin, Chun-Lung; Tsai, Wei-Che; Hong, Liang-Zheng; Lyu, Cheng-Han; Hsu, Hsun-Feng

2018-01-01

We demonstrate the fabrication and characterization of silicon nanowire-based devices in metal-nanowire-metal configuration using direct current dielectrophoresis. The current-voltage characteristics of the devices were found rectifying, and their direction of rectification could be determined by voltage sweep direction due to the asymmetric Joule heating effect that occurred in the electrical measurement process. The photosensing properties of the rectifying devices were investigated. It reveals that when the rectifying device was in reverse-biased mode, the excellent photoresponse was achieved due to the strong built-in electric field at the junction interface. It is expected that rectifying silicon nanowire-based devices through this novel and facile method can be potentially applied to other applications such as logic gates and sensors.

Nanoparticle Stability in Axial InAs-InP Nanowire Heterostructures with Atomically Sharp Interfaces.

PubMed

Zannier, Valentina; Rossi, Francesca; Dubrovskii, Vladimir G; Ercolani, Daniele; Battiato, Sergio; Sorba, Lucia

2018-01-10

The possibility to expand the range of material combinations in defect-free heterostructures is one of the main motivations for the great interest in semiconductor nanowires. However, most axial nanowire heterostructures suffer from interface compositional gradients and kink formation, as a consequence of nanoparticle-nanowire interactions during the metal-assisted growth. Understanding such interactions and how they affect the growth mode is fundamental to achieve a full control over the morphology and the properties of nanowire heterostructures for device applications. Here we demonstrate that the sole parameter affecting the growth mode (straight or kinked) of InP segments on InAs nanowire stems by the Au-assisted method is the nanoparticle composition. Indeed, straight InAs-InP nanowire heterostructures are obtained only when the In/Au ratio in the nanoparticles is low, typically smaller than 1.5. For higher In content, the InP segments tend to kink. Tailoring the In/Au ratio by the precursor fluxes at a fixed growth temperature enables us to obtain straight and radius-uniform InAs-InP nanowire heterostructures (single and double) with atomically sharp interfaces. We present a model that is capable of describing all the experimentally observed phenomena: straight growth versus kinking, the stationary nanoparticle compositions in pure InAs and InAs-InP nanowires, the crystal phase trends, and the interfacial abruptness. By taking into account different nanowire/nanoparticle interfacial configurations (forming wetting or nonwetting monolayers in vertical or tapered geometry), our generalized model provides the conditions of nanoparticle stability and abrupt heterointerfaces for a rich variety of growth scenarios. Therefore, our results provide a powerful tool for obtaining high quality InAs-InP nanowire heterostructures with well-controlled properties and can be extended to other material combinations based on the group V interchange.

Nanowire growth and sublimation: CdTe quantum dots in ZnTe nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orrù, M.; Robin, E.; Den Hertog, M.; Moratis, K.; Genuist, Y.; André, R.; Ferrand, D.; Cibert, J.; Bellet-Amalric, E.

2018-04-01

The role of the sublimation of the compound and of the evaporation of the constituents from the gold nanoparticle during the growth of semiconductor nanowires is exemplified with CdTe-ZnTe heterostructures. Operating close to the upper temperature limit strongly reduces the amount of Cd present in the gold nanoparticle and the density of adatoms on the nanowire sidewalls. As a result, the growth rate is small and strongly temperature dependent, but a good control of the growth conditions allows the incorporation of quantum dots in nanowires with sharp interfaces and adjustable shape, and it minimizes the radial growth and the subsequent formation of additional CdTe clusters on the nanowire sidewalls, as confirmed by photoluminescence. Uncapped CdTe segments dissolve into the gold nanoparticle when interrupting the flux, giving rise to a bulblike (pendant-droplet) shape attributed to the Kirkendall effect.

Si-H induced synthesis of Si/Cu2O nanowire arrays for photoelectrochemical water splitting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Shaoyang; She, Guangwei; Li, Shengyang; Mu, Lixuan; Shi, Wensheng

2018-01-01

We report a facile and low-cost method to synthesize Si/Cu2O heterojunction nanowire arrays, without SiOx, at the Si/Cu2O interface. The reductive Si-H bonds on the surface of Si nanowires plays a key role in situ by reducing Cu(II) ions to Cu2O nanocubes and avoiding the SiOx interface layer. Different pH values would vary the electrochemical potential of reactions and as a result, different products would be formed. Utilized as a photoanode for water splitting, Si/Cu2O nanowire arrays exhibit good photoelectrochemical performance.

Piezo-phototronic Effect Enhanced UV/Visible Photodetector Based on Fully Wide Band Gap Type-II ZnO/ZnS Core/Shell Nanowire Array.

PubMed

Rai, Satish C; Wang, Kai; Ding, Yong; Marmon, Jason K; Bhatt, Manish; Zhang, Yong; Zhou, Weilie; Wang, Zhong Lin

2015-06-23

A high-performance broad band UV/visible photodetector has been successfully fabricated on a fully wide bandgap ZnO/ZnS type-II heterojunction core/shell nanowire array. The device can detect photons with energies significantly smaller (2.2 eV) than the band gap of ZnO (3.2 eV) and ZnS (3.7 eV), which is mainly attributed to spatially indirect type-II transition facilitated by the abrupt interface between the ZnO core and ZnS shell. The performance of the device was further enhanced through the piezo-phototronic effect induced lowering of the barrier height to allow charge carrier transport across the ZnO/ZnS interface, resulting in three orders of relative responsivity change measured at three different excitation wavelengths (385, 465, and 520 nm). This work demonstrates a prototype UV/visible photodetector based on the truly wide band gap semiconducting 3D core/shell nanowire array with enhanced performance through the piezo-phototronic effect.

Oxide mediated liquid-solid growth of high aspect ratio aligned gold silicide nanowires on Si(110) substrates.

PubMed

Bhatta, Umananda M; Rath, Ashutosh; Dash, Jatis K; Ghatak, Jay; Yi-Feng, Lai; Liu, Chuan-Pu; Satyam, P V

2009-11-18

Silicon nanowires grown using the vapor-liquid-solid method are promising candidates for nanoelectronics applications. The nanowires grow from an Au-Si catalyst during silicon chemical vapor deposition. In this paper, the effect of temperature, oxide at the interface and substrate orientation on the nucleation and growth kinetics during formation of nanogold silicide structures is explained using an oxide mediated liquid-solid growth mechanism. Using real time in situ high temperature transmission electron microscopy (with 40 ms time resolution), we show the formation of high aspect ratio ( approximately 15.0) aligned gold silicide nanorods in the presence of native oxide at the interface during in situ annealing of gold thin films on Si(110) substrates. Steps observed in the growth rate and real time electron diffraction show the existence of liquid Au-Si nano-alloy structures on the surface besides the un-reacted gold nanostructures. These results might enable us to engineer the growth of nanowires and similar structures with an Au-Si alloy as a catalyst.

Interface composition of InAs nanowires with Al2O3 and HfO2 thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Timm, R.; Hjort, M.; Fian, A.; Borg, B. M.; Thelander, C.; Andersen, J. N.; Wernersson, L.-E.; Mikkelsen, A.

2011-11-01

Vertical InAs nanowires (NWs) wrapped by a thin high-κ dielectric layer may be a key to the next generation of high-speed metal-oxide-semiconductor devices. Here, we have investigated the structure and chemical composition of the interface between InAs NWs and 2 nm thick Al2O3 and HfO2 films. The native oxide on the NWs is significantly reduced upon high-κ deposition, although less effective than for corresponding planar samples, resulting in a 0.8 nm thick interface layer with an In-/As-oxide composition of about 0.7/0.3. The exact oxide reduction and composition including As-suboxides and the role of the NW geometry are discussed in detail.

Predictive simulations and optimization of nanowire field-effect PSA sensors including screening

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baumgartner, Stefan; Heitzinger, Clemens; Vacic, Aleksandar; Reed, Mark A.

2013-06-01

We apply our self-consistent PDE model for the electrical response of field-effect sensors to the 3D simulation of nanowire PSA (prostate-specific antigen) sensors. The charge concentration in the biofunctionalized boundary layer at the semiconductor-electrolyte interface is calculated using the propka algorithm, and the screening of the biomolecules by the free ions in the liquid is modeled by a sensitivity factor. This comprehensive approach yields excellent agreement with experimental current-voltage characteristics without any fitting parameters. Having verified the numerical model in this manner, we study the sensitivity of nanowire PSA sensors by changing device parameters, making it possible to optimize the devices and revealing the attributes of the optimal field-effect sensor.

Multifunctional Magnetic Nanowires for Biomagnetic Interfacing Concepts

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-07-14

demonstration of both in vitro and in vivo gene delivery with nanowire carriers, magnetic detection of nanowires for biosensing applications, and extensions of...nanowire concentration. The end-to-end self-assembly of nanowires reported here is similar to the problem of step polymerization . The polymerization of...end-segment (A) with a biotin- terminated end-segment (B), L0 is the initial chain length, and p is the extent of reaction (or polymerization

Ferromagnetic germanide in Ge nanowire transistors for spintronics application.

PubMed

Tang, Jianshi; Wang, Chiu-Yen; Hung, Min-Hsiu; Jiang, Xiaowei; Chang, Li-Te; He, Liang; Liu, Pei-Hsuan; Yang, Hong-Jie; Tuan, Hsing-Yu; Chen, Lih-Juann; Wang, Kang L

2012-06-26

To explore spintronics applications for Ge nanowire heterostructures formed by thermal annealing, it is critical to develop a ferromagnetic germanide with high Curie temperature and take advantage of the high-quality interface between Ge and the formed ferromagnetic germanide. In this work, we report, for the first time, the formation and characterization of Mn(5)Ge(3)/Ge/Mn(5)Ge(3) nanowire transistors, in which the room-temperature ferromagnetic germanide was found through the solid-state reaction between a single-crystalline Ge nanowire and Mn contact pads upon thermal annealing. The atomically clean interface between Mn(5)Ge(3) and Ge with a relatively small lattice mismatch of 10.6% indicates that Mn(5)Ge(3) is a high-quality ferromagnetic contact to Ge. Temperature-dependent I-V measurements on the Mn(5)Ge(3)/Ge/Mn(5)Ge(3) nanowire heterostructure reveal a Schottky barrier height of 0.25 eV for the Mn(5)Ge(3) contact to p-type Ge. The Ge nanowire field-effect transistors built on the Mn(5)Ge(3)/Ge/Mn(5)Ge(3) heterostructure exhibit a high-performance p-type behavior with a current on/off ratio close to 10(5), and a hole mobility of 150-200 cm(2)/(V s). Temperature-dependent resistance of a fully germanided Mn(5)Ge(3) nanowire shows a clear transition behavior near the Curie temperature of Mn(5)Ge(3) at about 300 K. Our findings of the high-quality room-temperature ferromagnetic Mn(5)Ge(3) contact represent a promising step toward electrical spin injection into Ge nanowires and thus the realization of high-efficiency spintronic devices for room-temperature applications.

Heat transfer across the interface between nanoscale solids and gas.

PubMed

Cheng, Chun; Fan, Wen; Cao, Jinbo; Ryu, Sang-Gil; Ji, Jie; Grigoropoulos, Costas P; Wu, Junqiao

2011-12-27

When solid materials and devices scale down in size, heat transfer from the active region to the gas environment becomes increasingly significant. We show that the heat transfer coefficient across the solid-gas interface behaves very differently when the size of the solid is reduced to the nanoscale, such as that of a single nanowire. Unlike for macroscopic solids, the coefficient is strongly pressure dependent above ∼10 Torr, and at lower pressures it is much higher than predictions of the kinetic gas theory. The heat transfer coefficient was measured between a single, free-standing VO(2) nanowire and surrounding air using laser thermography, where the temperature distribution along the VO(2) nanowire was determined by imaging its domain structure of metal-insulator phase transition. The one-dimensional domain structure along the nanowire results from the balance between heat generation by the focused laser and heat dissipation to the substrate as well as to the surrounding gas, and thus serves as a nanoscale power-meter and thermometer. We quantified the heat loss rate across the nanowire-air interface, and found that it dominates over all other heat dissipation channels for small-diameter nanowires near ambient pressure. As the heat transfer across the solid-gas interface is nearly independent of the chemical identity of the solid, the results reveal a general scaling relationship for gaseous heat dissipation from nanostructures of all solid materials, which is applicable to nanoscale electronic and thermal devices exposed to gaseous environments.

Internal structure of multiphase zinc-blende wurtzite gallium nitride nanowires.

PubMed

Jacobs, B W; Ayres, V M; Crimp, M A; McElroy, K

2008-10-08

In this paper, the internal structure of novel multiphase gallium nitride nanowires in which multiple zinc-blende and wurtzite crystalline domains grow simultaneously along the entire length of the nanowire is investigated. Orientation relationships within the multiphase nanowires are identified using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy of nanowire cross-sections fabricated with a focused ion beam system. A coherent interface between the zinc-blende and wurtzite phases is identified. A mechanism for catalyst-free vapor-solid multiphase nanowire nucleation and growth is proposed.

A three-dimensional phase field model for nanowire growth by the vapor-liquid-solid mechanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yanming; Ryu, Seunghwa; McIntyre, Paul C.; Cai, Wei

2014-07-01

We present a three-dimensional multi-phase field model for catalyzed nanowire (NW) growth by the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism. The equation of motion contains both a Ginzburg-Landau term for deposition and a diffusion (Cahn-Hilliard) term for interface relaxation without deposition. Direct deposition from vapor to solid, which competes with NW crystal growth through the molten catalyst droplet, is suppressed by assigning a very small kinetic coefficient at the solid-vapor interface. The thermodynamic self-consistency of the model is demonstrated by its ability to reproduce the equilibrium contact angles at the VLS junction. The incorporation of orientation dependent gradient energy leads to faceting of the solid-liquid and solid-vapor interfaces. The model successfully captures the curved shape of the NW base and the Gibbs-Thomson effect on growth velocity.

Temperature dependent current transport of Pd/ZnO nanowire Schottky diodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gayen, R. N.; Bhattacharyya, S. R.; Jana, P.

2014-09-01

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowire based Schottky barrier diodes are fabricated by depositing Pd metal contact on top of vertically well-aligned ZnO nanowire arrays. A vertical array of ZnO nanowires on indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass substrates is synthesized by hybrid wet chemical route. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurement confirm the formation of stoichiometric well-aligned hexagonal (h-ZnO) nanowire arrays with wurtzite structure. Temperature dependent current-voltage (I-V) measurements on palladium-ZnO (Pd/ZnO) nanowire Schottky junctions in the temperature range 303-383 K exhibit excellent rectifying character. From these nonlinear I-V plots, different electrical parameters of diode-like reverse saturation current, barrier height and ideality factor are determined as a function of temperature assuming pure thermionic emission model. The ideality factor is found to decrease while the barrier height increases with the increase in temperature. The series resistance values calculated from Cheung’s functions also show temperature dependency. Such behavior can be attributed to the presence of defects that traps carriers, and barrier height inhomogeneity at the interface of the barrier junction. After barrier height inhomogeneity correction, considering a Gaussian distributed barrier height fluctuation across the Pd/ZnO interface, the estimated values of mean barrier height and modified Richardson constant are more closely matched to the theoretically predicted value for Pd/ZnO Schottky barrier diodes. The variation of density of interface states as a function of interface state energy is also calculated.

Epitaxy of semiconductor-superconductor nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krogstrup, P.; Ziino, N. L. B.; Chang, W.; Albrecht, S. M.; Madsen, M. H.; Johnson, E.; Nygård, J.; Marcus, C. M.; Jespersen, T. S.

2015-04-01

Controlling the properties of semiconductor/metal interfaces is a powerful method for designing functionality and improving the performance of electrical devices. Recently semiconductor/superconductor hybrids have appeared as an important example where the atomic scale uniformity of the interface plays a key role in determining the quality of the induced superconducting gap. Here we present epitaxial growth of semiconductor-metal core-shell nanowires by molecular beam epitaxy, a method that provides a conceptually new route to controlled electrical contacting of nanostructures and the design of devices for specialized applications such as topological and gate-controlled superconducting electronics. Our materials of choice, InAs/Al grown with epitaxially matched single-plane interfaces, and alternative semiconductor/metal combinations allowing epitaxial interface matching in nanowires are discussed. We formulate the grain growth kinetics of the metal phase in general terms of continuum parameters and bicrystal symmetries. The method realizes the ultimate limit of uniform interfaces and seems to solve the soft-gap problem in superconducting hybrid structures.

Engineering island-chain silicon nanowires via a droplet mediated Plateau-Rayleigh transformation

PubMed Central

Xue, Zhaoguo; Xu, Mingkun; Zhao, Yaolong; Wang, Jimmy; Jiang, Xiaofan; Yu, Linwei; Wang, Junzhuan; Xu, Jun; Shi, Yi; Chen, Kunji; Roca i Cabarrocas, Pere

2016-01-01

The ability to program highly modulated morphology upon silicon nanowires (SiNWs) has been fundamental to explore new phononic and electronic functionalities. We here exploit a nanoscale locomotion of metal droplets to demonstrate a large and readily controllable morphology engineering of crystalline SiNWs, from straight ones into continuous or discrete island-chains, at temperature <350 °C. This has been accomplished via a tin (Sn) droplet mediated in-plane growth where amorphous Si thin film is consumed as precursor to produce crystalline SiNWs. Thanks to a significant interface-stretching effect, a periodic Plateau-Rayleigh instability oscillation can be stimulated in the liquid Sn droplet, and the temporal oscillation of the Sn droplets is translated faithfully, via the deformable liquid/solid deposition interface, into regular spatial modulation upon the SiNWs. Combined with a unique self-alignment and positioning capability, this new strategy could enable a rational design and single-run fabrication of a wide variety of nanowire-based optoelectronic devices. PMID:27682161

Multiphase mean curvature flows with high mobility contrasts: A phase-field approach, with applications to nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bretin, Elie; Danescu, Alexandre; Penuelas, José; Masnou, Simon

2018-07-01

The structure of many multiphase systems is governed by an energy that penalizes the area of interfaces between phases weighted by surface tension coefficients. However, interface evolution laws depend also on interface mobility coefficients. Having in mind some applications where highly contrasted or even degenerate mobilities are involved, for which classical phase field models are inapplicable, we propose a new effective phase field approach to approximate multiphase mean curvature flows with mobilities. The key aspect of our model is to incorporate the mobilities not in the phase field energy (which is conventionally the case) but in the metric which determines the gradient flow. We show the consistency of such an approach by a formal analysis of the sharp interface limit. We also propose an efficient numerical scheme which allows us to illustrate the advantages of the model on various examples, as the wetting of droplets on solid surfaces or the simulation of nanowires growth generated by the so-called vapor-liquid-solid method.

Piezo-phototronic Boolean logic and computation using photon and strain dual-gated nanowire transistors.

PubMed

Yu, Ruomeng; Wu, Wenzhuo; Pan, Caofeng; Wang, Zhaona; Ding, Yong; Wang, Zhong Lin

2015-02-04

Using polarization charges created at the metal-cadmium sulfide interface under strain to gate/modulate electrical transport and optoelectronic processes of charge carriers, the piezo-phototronic effect is applied to process mechanical and optical stimuli into electronic controlling signals. The cascade nanowire networks are demonstrated for achieving logic gates, binary computations, and gated D latches to store information carried by these stimuli. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Probing the low thermal conductivity of single-crystalline porous Si nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yunshan; Lina Yang Collaboration; Lingyu Kong Collaboration; Baowen Li Collaboration; John T L Thong Collaboration; Kedar Hippalgaonkar Collaboration

Pore-like structures provide a novel way to reduce the thermal conductivity of silicon nanowires, compared to both smooth-surface VLS nanowires and rough EE nanowires. Because of enhanced phonon scattering with interface and decrease in phonon transport path, the porous nanostructures show reduction in thermal conductance by few orders of magnitude. It proves to be extremely challenging to evaluate porosity accurately in an experimental manner and further understand its effect on thermal transport. In this study, we use the newly developed electron-beam based micro-electrothermal device technique to study the porosity dependent thermal conductivity of mesoporous silicon nanowires that have single-crystalline scaffolding. Based on the Casino simulation, the power absorbed by the nanowire, coming from the loss of travelling electron energy, has a linear relationship with it cross section. The relationship has been verified experimentally as well. Monte Carlo simulation is carried out to theoretically predict the thermal conductivity of silicon nanowires with a specific value of porosity. These single-crystalline porous silicon nanowires show extremely low thermal conductivity, even below the amorphous limit. These structures together with our experimental techniques provide a particularly intriguing platform to understand the phonon transport in nanoscale and aid the performance improvement in future nanowires-based devices.

Anomalous Seebeck coefficient observed in silicon nanowire micro thermoelectric generator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hashimoto, S.; Asada, S.; Xu, T.; Oba, S.; Himeda, Y.; Yamato, R.; Matsukawa, T.; Matsuki, T.; Watanabe, T.

2017-07-01

We have found experimentally an anomalous thermoelectric characteristic of an n-type Si nanowire micro thermoelectric generator (μTEG). The μTEG is fabricated on a silicon-on-insulator wafer by electron beam lithography and dry etching, and its surface is covered with a thermally grown silicon dioxide film. The observed thermoelectric current is opposite to what is expected from the Seebeck coefficient of n-type Si. The result is understandable by considering a potential barrier in the nanowire. Upon the application of the temperature gradient across the nanowire, the potential barrier impedes the diffusion of thermally activated majority carriers into the nanowire, and it rather stimulates the injection of thermally generated minority carriers. The most plausible origin of the potential barrier is negative charges trapped at the interface between the Si nanowire and the oxide film. We practically confirmed that the normal Seebeck coefficient of the n-type Si nanowire is recovered after the hydrogen forming gas annealing. This implies that the interface traps are diminished by the hydrogen termination of bonding defects. The present results show the importance of the surface inactivation treatment of μTEGs to suppress the potential barrier and unfavorable contribution of minority carriers.

Heterojunction metal-oxide-metal Au-Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}-Au single nanowire device for spintronics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Reddy, K. M., E-mail: mrkongara@boisestate.edu; Punnoose, Alex; Hanna, Charles

2015-05-07

In this report, we present the synthesis of heterojunction magnetite nanowires in alumina template and describe magnetic and electrical properties from a single nanowire device for spintronics applications. Heterojunction Au-Fe-Au nanowire arrays were electrodeposited in porous aluminum oxide templates, and an extensive and controlled heat treatment process converted Fe segment to nanocrystalline cubic magnetite phase with well-defined Au-Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} interfaces as confirmed by the transmission electron microscopy. Magnetic measurements revealed Verwey transition shoulder around 120 K and a room temperature coercive field of 90 Oe. Current–voltage (I-V) characteristics of a single Au-Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}-Au nanowire have exhibited Ohmic behavior. Anomalous positivemore » magnetoresistance of about 0.5% is observed on a single nanowire, which is attributed to the high spin polarization in nanowire device with pure Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} phase and nanocontact barrier. This work demonstrates the ability to preserve the pristine Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} and well defined electrode contact metal (Au)–magnetite interface, which helps in attaining high spin polarized current.« less

Integrated nanoscale tools for interrogating living cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jorgolli, Marsela

The development of next-generation, nanoscale technologies that interface biological systems will pave the way towards new understanding of such complex systems. Nanowires -- one-dimensional nanoscale structures -- have shown unique potential as an ideal physical interface to biological systems. Herein, we focus on the development of nanowire-based devices that can enable a wide variety of biological studies. First, we built upon standard nanofabrication techniques to optimize nanowire devices, resulting in perfectly ordered arrays of both opaque (Silicon) and transparent (Silicon dioxide) nanowires with user defined structural profile, densities, and overall patterns, as well as high sample consistency and large scale production. The high-precision and well-controlled fabrication method in conjunction with additional technologies laid the foundation for the generation of highly specialized platforms for imaging, electrochemical interrogation, and molecular biology. Next, we utilized nanowires as the fundamental structure in the development of integrated nanoelectronic platforms to directly interrogate the electrical activity of biological systems. Initially, we generated a scalable intracellular electrode platform based on vertical nanowires that allows for parallel electrical interfacing to multiple mammalian neurons. Our prototype device consisted of 16 individually addressable stimulation/recording sites, each containing an array of 9 electrically active silicon nanowires. We showed that these vertical nanowire electrode arrays could intracellularly record and stimulate neuronal activity in dissociated cultures of rat cortical neurons similar to patch clamp electrodes. In addition, we used our intracellular electrode platform to measure multiple individual synaptic connections, which enables the reconstruction of the functional connectivity maps of neuronal circuits. In order to expand and improve the capability of this functional prototype device we designed and fabricated a new hybrid chip that combines a front-side nanowire-based interface for neuronal recording with backside complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) circuits for on-chip multiplexing, voltage control for stimulation, signal amplification, and signal processing. Individual chips contain 1024 stimulation/recording sites enabling large-scale interfacing of neuronal networks with single cell resolution. Through electrical and electrochemical characterization of the devices, we demonstrated their enhanced functionality at a massively parallel scale. In our initial cell experiments, we achieved intracellular stimulations and recordings of changes in the membrane potential in a variety of cells including: HEK293T, cardiomyocytes, and rat cortical neurons. This demonstrated the device capability for single-cell-resolution recording/stimulation which when extended to a large number of neurons in a massively parallel fashion will enable the functional mapping of a complex neuronal network.

Simulating the Effect of Contact Atomic Structure on the Spin-Dependent Transport Properties of Gold Nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ansarino, Masoud; Ravan, Bahram Abedi

Some experimental research works report on the superb magnetoresistance properties of magnetically contacted gold nanowires. With the intention of trying to understand the spin-dependent transport mechanism of these structures, in this work we have used first-principles density functional theory methods to investigate effects of interface structure on the spintronic characteristics of Au nanowires. Monatomic chains of gold are sandwiched between two ferromagnetic electrodes of Fe and by substituting the interfacial Fe atoms with some other transition metal elements (including Cr, Mn, Co and Ni) the occurrence of possible enhancement in the electronic conductance and magnetoresistance characteristics of the device are investigated. It is observed that replacing the interfacial atoms with Ni raises the junction’s magnetoresistance ratio to as high as 2000%.

STIR: Tailored Interfaces for High Strength Composites Across Strain Rates

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-02

following by the nanowire growth . For the seeding process, the fibers were dipped into a colloidal solution of ZnO nanoparticles (2nm diameter) that was...to the fabric prior to nanowire growth . The synthesis of ZnO nanowire on Kevlar fabric surface was conducted in two steps; initial seeding and...Patterson, Mohammad H. Malakooti, Henry A. Sodano. Modification of Pullout Behavior of Kevlar Fabric by Zinc Oxide Nanowire Reinforcement, Proceedings of

Alignment control and atomically-scaled heteroepitaxial interface study of GaN nanowires.

PubMed

Liu, Qingyun; Liu, Baodan; Yang, Wenjin; Yang, Bing; Zhang, Xinglai; Labbé, Christophe; Portier, Xavier; An, Vladimir; Jiang, Xin

2017-04-20

Well-aligned GaN nanowires are promising candidates for building high-performance optoelectronic nanodevices. In this work, we demonstrate the epitaxial growth of well-aligned GaN nanowires on a [0001]-oriented sapphire substrate in a simple catalyst-assisted chemical vapor deposition process and their alignment control. It is found that the ammonia flux plays a key role in dominating the initial nucleation of GaN nanocrystals and their orientation. Typically, significant improvement of the GaN nanowire alignment can be realized at a low NH 3 flow rate. X-ray diffraction and cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy studies further verified the preferential orientation of GaN nanowires along the [0001] direction. The growth mechanism of GaN nanowire arrays is also well studied based on cross-sectional high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) characterization and it is observed that GaN nanowires have good epitaxial growth on the sapphire substrate following the crystallographic relationship between (0001) GaN ∥(0001) sapphire and (101[combining macron]0) GaN ∥(112[combining macron]0) sapphire . Most importantly, periodic misfit dislocations are also experimentally observed in the interface region due to the large lattice mismatch between the GaN nanowire and the sapphire substrate, and the formation of such dislocations will favor the release of structural strain in GaN nanowires. HRTEM analysis also finds the existence of "type I" stacking faults and voids inside the GaN nanowires. Optical investigation suggests that the GaN nanowire arrays have strong emission in the UV range, suggesting their crystalline nature and chemical purity. The achievement of aligned GaN nanowires will further promote the wide applications of GaN nanostructures toward diverse high-performance optoelectronic nanodevices including nano-LEDs, photovoltaic cells, photodetectors etc.

Diameter Dependence of Planar Defects in InP Nanowires

PubMed Central

Wang, Fengyun; Wang, Chao; Wang, Yiqian; Zhang, Minghuan; Han, Zhenlian; Yip, SenPo; Shen, Lifan; Han, Ning; Pun, Edwin Y. B.; Ho, Johnny C.

2016-01-01

In this work, extensive characterization and complementary theoretical analysis have been carried out on Au-catalyzed InP nanowires in order to understand the planar defect formation as a function of nanowire diameter. From the detailed transmission electron microscopic measurements, the density of stacking faults and twin defects are found to monotonically decrease as the nanowire diameter is decreased to 10 nm, and the chemical analysis clearly indicates the drastic impact of In catalytic supersaturation in Au nanoparticles on the minimized planar defect formation in miniaturized nanowires. Specifically, during the chemical vapor deposition of InP nanowires, a significant amount of planar defects is created when the catalyst seed sizes are increased with the lower degree of In supersaturation as dictated by the Gibbs-Thomson effect, and an insufficient In diffusion (or Au-rich enhancement) would lead to a reduced and non-uniform In precipitation at the NW growing interface. The results presented here provide an insight into the fabrication of “bottom-up” InP NWs with minimized defect concentration which are suitable for various device applications. PMID:27616584

Diameter Dependence of Planar Defects in InP Nanowires.

PubMed

Wang, Fengyun; Wang, Chao; Wang, Yiqian; Zhang, Minghuan; Han, Zhenlian; Yip, SenPo; Shen, Lifan; Han, Ning; Pun, Edwin Y B; Ho, Johnny C

2016-09-12

In this work, extensive characterization and complementary theoretical analysis have been carried out on Au-catalyzed InP nanowires in order to understand the planar defect formation as a function of nanowire diameter. From the detailed transmission electron microscopic measurements, the density of stacking faults and twin defects are found to monotonically decrease as the nanowire diameter is decreased to 10 nm, and the chemical analysis clearly indicates the drastic impact of In catalytic supersaturation in Au nanoparticles on the minimized planar defect formation in miniaturized nanowires. Specifically, during the chemical vapor deposition of InP nanowires, a significant amount of planar defects is created when the catalyst seed sizes are increased with the lower degree of In supersaturation as dictated by the Gibbs-Thomson effect, and an insufficient In diffusion (or Au-rich enhancement) would lead to a reduced and non-uniform In precipitation at the NW growing interface. The results presented here provide an insight into the fabrication of "bottom-up" InP NWs with minimized defect concentration which are suitable for various device applications.

Atomistics of vapour–liquid–solid nanowire growth

PubMed Central

Wang, Hailong; Zepeda-Ruiz, Luis A.; Gilmer, George H.; Upmanyu, Moneesh

2013-01-01

Vapour–liquid–solid route and its variants are routinely used for scalable synthesis of semiconducting nanowires, yet the fundamental growth processes remain unknown. Here we employ atomic-scale computations based on model potentials to study the stability and growth of gold-catalysed silicon nanowires. Equilibrium studies uncover segregation at the solid-like surface of the catalyst particle, a liquid AuSi droplet, and a silicon-rich droplet–nanowire interface enveloped by heterogeneous truncating facets. Supersaturation of the droplets leads to rapid one-dimensional growth on the truncating facets and much slower nucleation-controlled two-dimensional growth on the main facet. Surface diffusion is suppressed and the excess Si flux occurs through the droplet bulk which, together with the Si-rich interface and contact line, lowers the nucleation barrier on the main facet. The ensuing step flow is modified by Au diffusion away from the step edges. Our study highlights key interfacial characteristics for morphological and compositional control of semiconducting nanowire arrays. PMID:23752586

Directional charge transfer mediated by mid-gap states: A transient absorption spectroscopy study of CdSe quantum dot/β-Pb 0.33V 2O 5 heterostructures

DOE PAGES

Milleville, Christopher C.; Pelcher, Kate E.; Sfeir, Matthew Y.; ...

2016-02-15

For solar energy conversion, not only must a semiconductor absorb incident solar radiation efficiently but also its photoexcited electron—hole pairs must further be separated and transported across interfaces. Charge transfer across interfaces requires consideration of both thermodynamic driving forces as well as the competing kinetics of multiple possible transfer, cooling, and recombination pathways. In this work, we demonstrate a novel strategy for extracting holes from photoexcited CdSe quantum dots (QDs) based on interfacing with β-Pb 0.33V 2O 5 nanowires that have strategically positioned midgap states derived from the intercalating Pb 2+ ions. Unlike midgap states derived from defects or dopants,more » the states utilized here are derived from the intrinsic crystal structure and are thus homogeneously distributed across the material. CdSe/β-Pb 0.33V 2O 5 heterostructures were assembled using two distinct methods: successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) and linker-assisted assembly (LAA). Transient absorption spectroscopy measurements indicate that, for both types of heterostructures, photoexcitation of CdSe QDs was followed by the transfer of electrons to the conduction band of β-Pb 0.33V 2O 5 nanowires and holes to the midgap states of β-Pb 0.33V 2O 5 nanowires. Holes were transferred on time scales less than 1 ps, whereas electrons were transferred more slowly on time scales of ~2 ps. In contrast, for analogous heterostructures consisting of CdSe QDs interfaced with V 2O 5 nanowires (wherein midgap states are absent), only electron transfer was observed. Interestingly, electron transfer was readily achieved for CdSe QDs interfaced with V 2O 5 nanowires by the SILAR method; however, for interfaces incorporating molecular linkers, electron transfer was observed only upon excitation at energies substantially greater than the bandgap absorption threshold of CdSe. Furthermore, transient absorbance decay traces reveal longer excited-state lifetimes (1–3 μs) for CdSe/β-Pb 0.33V 2O 5 heterostructures relative to bare β-Pb 0.33V 2O 5 nanowires (0.2 to 0.6 μs); the difference is attributed to surface passivation of intrinsic surface defects in β-Pb 0.33V 2O 5 upon interfacing with CdSe.« less

Engineering hybrid epitaxial InAsSb/Al nanowires for stronger topological protection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sestoft, Joachim E.; Kanne, Thomas; Gejl, Aske Nørskov; von Soosten, Merlin; Yodh, Jeremy S.; Sherman, Daniel; Tarasinski, Brian; Wimmer, Michael; Johnson, Erik; Deng, Mingtang; Nygârd, Jesper; Jespersen, Thomas Sand; Marcus, Charles M.; Krogstrup, Peter

2018-04-01

The combination of strong spin-orbit coupling, large g factors, and the coupling to a superconductor can be used to create a topologically protected state in a semiconductor nanowire. Here we report on growth and characterization of hybrid epitaxial InAsSb/Al nanowires, with varying composition and crystal structure. We find the strongest spin-orbit interaction at intermediate compositions in zinc-blende InAs1 -xSbx nanowires, exceeding that of both InAs and InSb materials, confirming recent theoretical studies. We show that the epitaxial InAsSb/Al interface allows for a hard induced superconducting gap and 2 e transport in Coulomb charging experiments, similarly to experiments on InAs/Al and InSb/Al materials, and find measurements consistent with topological phase transitions at low magnetic fields due to large effective g factors. Finally we present a method to grow pure wurtzite InAsSb nanowires which are predicted to exhibit even stronger spin-orbit coupling than the zinc-blende structure.

Spontaneous polarization induced electric field in zinc oxide nanowires and nanostars

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Farid, S., E-mail: sfarid3@uic.edu; Choi, M.; Datta, D.

We report on the detection mechanism of spontaneous polarization using electrostatic force microscopy in zinc oxide nanowires and nanostars grown by vapor-liquid-solid technique. Optical and structural properties are investigated in detail to understand the complex ZnO nanostructures comprehensively. Calculations are carried out to estimate the electric field from the change in interleave amplitude induced by the electrostatic force due to the spontaneous polarization effects. Attraction of the probe between the tip and the sample varies for different structures with a stronger attraction for nanostars as compared to nanowires. Strength of electric field is dependent on the orientation of nanowires andmore » nanostars c-axis with measured magnitude of electric field to be ∼10{sup 7 }V/m and 10{sup 8 }V/m respectively. This technique presents a unique detection mechanism of built-in spontaneous polarization and electric field from polar ZnO nanowires with applications in voltage gated ion channels, nano-bio interfaces, optoelectronic and photonic devices.« less

Epitaxy of advanced nanowire quantum devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gazibegovic, Sasa; Car, Diana; Zhang, Hao; Balk, Stijn C.; Logan, John A.; de Moor, Michiel W. A.; Cassidy, Maja C.; Schmits, Rudi; Xu, Di; Wang, Guanzhong; Krogstrup, Peter; Op Het Veld, Roy L. M.; Zuo, Kun; Vos, Yoram; Shen, Jie; Bouman, Daniël; Shojaei, Borzoyeh; Pennachio, Daniel; Lee, Joon Sue; van Veldhoven, Petrus J.; Koelling, Sebastian; Verheijen, Marcel A.; Kouwenhoven, Leo P.; Palmstrøm, Chris J.; Bakkers, Erik P. A. M.

2017-08-01

Semiconductor nanowires are ideal for realizing various low-dimensional quantum devices. In particular, topological phases of matter hosting non-Abelian quasiparticles (such as anyons) can emerge when a semiconductor nanowire with strong spin-orbit coupling is brought into contact with a superconductor. To exploit the potential of non-Abelian anyons—which are key elements of topological quantum computing—fully, they need to be exchanged in a well-controlled braiding operation. Essential hardware for braiding is a network of crystalline nanowires coupled to superconducting islands. Here we demonstrate a technique for generic bottom-up synthesis of complex quantum devices with a special focus on nanowire networks with a predefined number of superconducting islands. Structural analysis confirms the high crystalline quality of the nanowire junctions, as well as an epitaxial superconductor-semiconductor interface. Quantum transport measurements of nanowire ‘hashtags’ reveal Aharonov-Bohm and weak-antilocalization effects, indicating a phase-coherent system with strong spin-orbit coupling. In addition, a proximity-induced hard superconducting gap (with vanishing sub-gap conductance) is demonstrated in these hybrid superconductor-semiconductor nanowires, highlighting the successful materials development necessary for a first braiding experiment. Our approach opens up new avenues for the realization of epitaxial three-dimensional quantum architectures which have the potential to become key components of various quantum devices.

Super-giant magnetoresistance at room-temperature in copper nanowires due to magnetic field modulation of potential barrier heights at nanowire-contact interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hossain, Md I.; Maksud, M.; Palapati, N. K. R.; Subramanian, A.; Atulasimha, J.; Bandyopadhyay, S.

2016-07-01

We have observed a super-giant (∼10 000 000%) negative magnetoresistance at 39 mT field in Cu nanowires contacted with Au contact pads. In these nanowires, potential barriers form at the two Cu/Au interfaces because of Cu oxidation that results in an ultrathin copper oxide layer forming between Cu and Au. Current flows when electrons tunnel through, and/or thermionically emit over, these barriers. A magnetic field applied transverse to the direction of current flow along the wire deflects electrons toward one edge of the wire because of the Lorentz force, causing electron accumulation at that edge and depletion at the other. This lowers the potential barrier at the accumulated edge and raises it at the depleted edge, causing a super-giant magnetoresistance at room temperature.

Ultrathin Au-Alloy Nanowires at the Liquid-Liquid Interface.

PubMed

Chatterjee, Dipanwita; Shetty, Shwetha; Müller-Caspary, Knut; Grieb, Tim; Krause, Florian F; Schowalter, Marco; Rosenauer, Andreas; Ravishankar, Narayanan

2018-03-14

Ultrathin bimetallic nanowires are of importance and interest for applications in electronic devices such as sensors and heterogeneous catalysts. In this work, we have designed a new, highly reproducible and generalized wet chemical method to synthesize uniform and monodispersed Au-based alloy (AuCu, AuPd, and AuPt) nanowires with tunable composition using microwave-assisted reduction at the liquid-liquid interface. These ultrathin alloy nanowires are below 4 nm in diameter and about 2 μm long. Detailed microstructural characterization shows that the wires have an face centred cubic (FCC) crystal structure, and they have low-energy twin-boundary and stacking-fault defects along the growth direction. The wires exhibit remarkable thermal and mechanical stability that is critical for important applications. The alloy wires exhibit excellent electrocatalytic activity for methanol oxidation in an alkaline medium.

Super-giant magnetoresistance at room-temperature in copper nanowires due to magnetic field modulation of potential barrier heights at nanowire-contact interfaces.

PubMed

Hossain, Md I; Maksud, M; Palapati, N K R; Subramanian, A; Atulasimha, J; Bandyopadhyay, S

2016-07-29

We have observed a super-giant (∼10 000 000%) negative magnetoresistance at 39 mT field in Cu nanowires contacted with Au contact pads. In these nanowires, potential barriers form at the two Cu/Au interfaces because of Cu oxidation that results in an ultrathin copper oxide layer forming between Cu and Au. Current flows when electrons tunnel through, and/or thermionically emit over, these barriers. A magnetic field applied transverse to the direction of current flow along the wire deflects electrons toward one edge of the wire because of the Lorentz force, causing electron accumulation at that edge and depletion at the other. This lowers the potential barrier at the accumulated edge and raises it at the depleted edge, causing a super-giant magnetoresistance at room temperature.

Tunable one-dimensional electron gas carrier densities at nanostructured oxide interfaces

DOE PAGES

Zhang, Lipeng; Xu, Haixuan; Kent, Paul R. C.; ...

2016-05-06

The emergence of two-dimensional metallic states at the LaAlO 3/SrTiO 3 (LAO/STO) heterostructure interface is known to occur at a critical thickness of four LAO over layers. This insulator-to-metal transition can be explained through the polar catastrophe mechanism arising from the divergence of the electrostatic potential at the LAO surface. Here, we demonstrate that nanostructuring can be effective in reducing or eliminating this critical thickness. Employing a modified polar catastrophe" model, we demonstrate that the nanowire heterostructure electrostatic potential diverges more rapidly as a function of layer thickness than in a regular heterostructure. Our first principles calculations indicate that formore » nanowire heterostructure geometries a one-dimensional electron gas (1DEG) can be induced, consistent with recent experimental observations of 1D conductivity in LAO/STO steps. Similar to LAO/STO 2DEGs, we predict that the 1D charge density will decay laterally within a few unit cells away from the nanowire; thus providing a mechanism for tuning the carrier behavior between 1D and 2D conductivity. Furthermore, our work provides insight into the creation and manipulation of charge density at an oxide heterostructure interface and therefore may be beneficial for future nanoelectronic devices and for the engineering of novel quantum phases.« less

Exploring the Electronic Landscape at Interfaces and Junctions in Semiconductor Nanowire Devices with Subsurface Local Probing of Carrier Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McGuckin, Terrence

The solid state devices that are pervasive in our society, are based on building blocks composed of interfaces between materials and junctions that manipulate how charge carriers behave in a device. As the dimensions of these devices are reduced to the nanoscale, surfaces and interfaces play a larger role in the behavior of carriers in devices and must be thoroughly investigated to understand not only the material properties but how these materials interact. Separating the effects of these different building blocks is a challenge, as most testing methods measure the performance of the whole device. Semiconductor nanowires represent an excellent test system to explore the limits of size and novel device structures. The behavior of charge carriers in semiconductor nanowire devices under operational conditions is investigated using local probing technique electron beam induced current (EBIC). The behavior of locally excited carriers are driven by the forces of drift, from electric fields within a device at junctions, surfaces, contacts and, applied voltage bias, and diffusion. This thesis presents the results of directly measuring these effects spatially with nanometer resolution, using EBIC in Ge, Si, and complex heterostructure GaAs/AlGaAs nanowire devices. Advancements to the EBIC technique, have pushed the resolution from tens of nanometers down to 1 to 2 nanometers. Depth profiling and tuning of the interaction volume allows for the separating the signal originating from the surface and the interior of the nanowire. Radial junctions and variations in bands can now be analyzed including core/shell hetero-structures. This local carrier probing reveals a number of surprising behaviors; Most notably, directly imaging the evolution of surface traps filling with electrons causing bandbending at the surface of Ge nanowires that leads to an enhancement in the charge separation of electrons and holes, and extracting different characteristic lengths from GaAs and AlGaAs in core/shell nanowires. For new and emerging solid state materials, understanding charge carrier dynamics is crucial to designing functional devices. Presented here are examples of the wide application of EBIC, and its variants, through imaging domains in ferroelectric materials, local electric fields and defects in 2D semiconductor material MoS2, and gradients in doping profiles of solar cells. Measuring the local behavior of carrier dynamics, EBIC has the potential to be a key metrology technique in correlative microscopy, enabling a deeper understanding of materials and how they interact within devices.

Quantum Dot Sensitized Solar Cells Based on Ternary Metal Oxide Nanowires

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Wenyong; Tang, Jinke; Dahnovsky, Yuri

In Phase I of this project we investigate quantum dot sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) based on ternary metal oxide nanowires and study the physical and chemical mechanisms that govern device operation. Our research has the following five objectives: (1) synthesis of ternary metal oxide nanowires, (2) synthesis of QDs and exploration of non-solution based QD deposition methods, (3) physical and electro-optical characterizations of fabricated solar devices, (4) device modeling and first-principle theoretical study of transport physics, and (5) investigation of long-term stability issues of QD sensitized solar cells. In Phase II of this project our first major research goal ismore » to investigate magnetically doped quantum dots and related spin polarization effect, which could improve light absorption and suppress electron relaxation in the QDs. We will utilize both physical and chemical methods to synthesize these doped QDs. We will also study magnetically modified nanowires and introduce spin-polarized transport into QDSSCs, and inspect its impact on forward electron injection and back electron transfer processes. Our second goal is to study novel solid-state electrolytes for QDSSCs. Specifically, we will inspect a new type of polymer electrolytes based on a modified polysulfide redox couple, and examine the effect of their electrical properties on QDSSC performance. These solid-state electrolytes could also be used as filler materials for in situ sample fracturing in STM and enable cross-sectional interface examination of QD/nanowire structures. Our third research goal is to examine the interfacial properties such as energy level alignment at QD/nanowire interfaces using the newly developed Cross-sectional Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Spectroscopy technique for non-cleavable materials. This technique allows a direct probing of band structures and alignment at device interfaces, which could generate important insight into the mechanisms that govern QDSSC operation. These investigations will be carried out through a close collaboration between our experimental and theoretical efforts in this project. This project initiates an important research direction in the jurisdiction of Wyoming. It brings together researchers from different academic disciplines including physics, chemistry, materials science, and engineering to work on one common scientific theme, and is a vital step towards the establishment of an nationally competitive research program in energy-related nanomaterials in the state of Wyoming.« less

Piezo-Phototronic Matrix via a Nanowire Array.

PubMed

Zhang, Yang; Zhai, Junyi; Wang, Zhong Lin

2017-12-01

Piezoelectric semiconductors, such as ZnO and GaN, demonstrate multiproperty coupling effects toward various aspects of mechanical, electrical, and optical excitation. In particular, the three-way coupling among semiconducting, photoexcitation, and piezoelectric characteristics in wurtzite-structured semiconductors is established as a new field, which was first coined as piezo-phototronics by Wang in 2010. The piezo-phototronic effect can controllably modulate the charge-carrier generation, separation, transport, and/or recombination in optical-electronic processes by modifying the band structure at the metal-semiconductor or semiconductor-semiconductor heterojunction/interface. Here, the progress made in using the piezo-phototronic effect for enhancing photodetectors, pressure sensors, light-emitting diodes, and solar cells is reviewed. In comparison with previous works on a single piezoelectric semiconducting nanowire, piezo-phototronic nanodevices built using nanowire arrays provide a promising platform for fabricating integrated optoelectronics with the realization of high-spatial-resolution imaging and fast responsivity. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

High-Quality CrO2 Nanowires for Dissipation-less Spintronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Amrita; Jansen, Charlotte; Lahabi, Kaveh; Aarts, Jan

2016-10-01

Superconductor-ferromagnet (S-F) hybrids based on half-metallic ferromagnets, such as CrO2 , are ideal candidates for superconducting spintronic applications. This is primarily due to the fully spin-polarized nature of CrO2 , which produces enhanced long-range triplet proximity effects. However, reliable production of CrO2 -based Josephson junctions (JJs) has proved to be extremely challenging because of a poorly controlled interface transparency and an incomplete knowledge of the local magnetization of the CrO2 films. To address these issues, we use a bottom-up approach to grow CrO2 nanowires on prepatterned substrates via chemical-vapor deposition. A comprehensive study of the growth mechanism enables us to reliably synthesize faceted, homogeneous CrO2 wires with a well-defined magnetization state. Combining these high-quality wires with a superconductor produces JJs with a high interface transparency, leading to exceptionally large 100% spin-polarized supercurrents, with critical current densities exceeding 109 Am-2 over distances as long as 600 nm. These CrO2 -nanowire-based JJs thus provide a realistic route to creating a scalable device platform for dissipation-less spintronics.

A novel rotating electrochemically anodizing process to fabricate titanium oxide surface nanostructures enhancing the bioactivity of osteoblastic cells.

PubMed

Chang, Chih-Hung; Lee, Hsin-Chun; Chen, Chia-Chun; Wu, Yi-Hau; Hsu, Yuan-Ming; Chang, Yin-Pen; Yang, Ta-I; Fang, Hsu-Wei

2012-07-01

Titanium oxide (TiO(2) ) surface layers with various surface nanostructures (nanotubes and nanowires) have been developed using an anodizing technique. The pore size and length of TiO(2) nanotubes can be tailored by changing the anodizing time and applied voltage. We developed a novel method to transform the upper part of the formed TiO(2) nanotubes into a nanowire-like structure by rotating the titanium anode during anodizing process. The transformation of nanotubes contributed to the preferential chemical dissolution of TiO(2) on the areas with intense interface tension stress. Furthermore, we further compared the effect of various TiO(2) surface nanostructures including flat, nanotubes, and nanowires on bioactive applications. The MG-63 osteoblastic cells cultured on the TiO(2) nanowires exhibited a polygonal shape with extending filopodia and showed highest levels of cell viability and alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP). The TiO(2) nanowire structure formed by our novel method can provide beneficial effects for MG-63 osteoblastic cells in attachment, proliferation, and secretion of ALP on the TiO(2) surface layer. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Which nanowire couples better electrically to a metal contact: Armchair or zigzag nanotube?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anantram, M. P.; Biegel, Bryan (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The fundamental question of how chirality affects tile electronic coupling of a nanotube to metal contacts is important for tile application of nanotubes as nanowires. We show that metallic-zigzag nanotubes are superior to armchair nanotubes as nanowires, by modeling the metal-nanotube interface. More specifically, we show that as a function of coupling strength, the total electron transmission of armchair nanotubes increases and tends to be pinned close to unity for a metal with Fermi wave vector close to that of gold. In contrast, the transmission probability of zigzag nanotubes increases to the maximum possible value of two. The origin of these effects lies in the details of the wave function, which is explained.

Misfit stress relaxation in composite core-shell nanowires with parallelepiped cores using rectangular prismatic dislocation loops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krasnitckii, S. A.; Kolomoetc, D. R.; Smirnov, A. M.; Gutkin, M. Yu

2018-03-01

The misfit stress relaxation via generation of rectangular prismatic dislocation loops at the interface in core-shell nanowires is considered. The core has the shape of a long parallelepiped of a square cross-section. The energy change caused by loop generation in such nanowires is calculated. Critical conditions for the onset of such loops are calculated and analyzed.

Crystallinity, Surface Morphology, and Photoelectrochemical Effects in Conical InP and InN Nanowires Grown on Silicon.

PubMed

Parameshwaran, Vijay; Xu, Xiaoqing; Clemens, Bruce

2016-08-24

The growth conditions of two types of indium-based III-V nanowires, InP and InN, are tailored such that instead of yielding conventional wire-type morphologies, single-crystal conical structures are formed with an enlarged diameter either near the base or near the tip. By using indium droplets as a growth catalyst, combined with an excess indium supply during growth, "ice cream cone" type structures are formed with a nanowire "cone" and an indium-based "ice cream" droplet on top for both InP and InN. Surface polycrystallinity and annihilation of the catalyst tip of the conical InP nanowires are observed when the indium supply is turned off during the growth process. This growth design technique is extended to create single-crystal InN nanowires with the same morphology. Conical InN nanowires with an enlarged base are obtained through the use of an excess combined Au-In growth catalyst. Electrochemical studies of the InP nanowires on silicon demonstrate a reduction photocurrent as a proof of photovolatic behavior and provide insight as to how the observed surface polycrystallinity and the resulting interface affect these device-level properties. Additionally, a photovoltage is induced in both types of conical InN nanowires on silicon, which is not replicated in epitaxial InN thin films.

Polymer-electrolyte-gated nanowire synaptic transistors for neuromorphic applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zou, Can; Sun, Jia; Gou, Guangyang; Kong, Ling-An; Qian, Chuan; Dai, Guozhang; Yang, Junliang; Guo, Guang-hua

2017-09-01

Polymer-electrolytes are formed by dissolving a salt in polymer instead of water, the conducting mechanism involves the segmental motion-assisted diffusion of ion in the polymer matrix. Here, we report on the fabrication of tin oxide (SnO2) nanowire synaptic transistors using polymer-electrolyte gating. A thin layer of poly(ethylene oxide) and lithium perchlorate (PEO/LiClO4) was deposited on top of the devices, which was used to boost device performances. A voltage spike applied on the in-plane gate attracts ions toward the polymer-electrolyte/SnO2 nanowire interface and the ions are gradually returned after the pulse is removed, which can induce a dynamic excitatory postsynaptic current in the nanowire channel. The SnO2 synaptic transistors exhibit the behavior of short-term plasticity like the paired-pulse facilitation and self-adaptation, which is related to the electric double-effect regulation. In addition, the synaptic logic functions and the logical function transformation are also discussed. Such single SnO2 nanowire-based synaptic transistors are of great importance for future neuromorphic devices.

Effects of anodic aluminum oxide membrane on performance of nanostructured solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dang, Hongmei; Singh, Vijay

2015-05-01

Three nanowire solar cell device configurations have been fabricated to demonstrate the effects of the host anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane on device performance. The three configurations show similar transmittance spectra, indicating that AAO membrane has negligible optical absorption. Power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the device is studied as a function of the carrier transport and collection in cell structures with and without AAO membrane. Free standing nanowire solar cells exhibit PCE of 9.9%. Through inclusion of AAO in solar cell structure, interface defects and traps caused by humidity and oxygen are reduced, and direct contact of CdTe tentacles with SnO2 and formation of micro shunt shorts are prevented; hence PCE is improved to 11.1%-11.3%. Partially embedded nanowire solar cells further reduce influence of non-ideal and non-uniform nanowire growth and generate a large amount of carriers in axial direction and also a small quantity of carriers in lateral direction, thus becoming a promising solar cell structure. Thus, including AAO membrane in solar cell structure provides favorable electro-optical properties as well as mechanical advantages.

Strikingly enhanced cooling performance for a micro-cooler using unique Cu nanowire array with high electrical conductivity and fast heat transfer behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Ming; Wang, Xiuzhen; Hao, Yanming; Deng, Yuan

2017-06-01

It was found that phonons/electrons are less scattered along (1 1 1)-preferred Cu nanowires than in ordinary structure films and that the interface of Cu nanowires electrode and thermoelectric materials are more compatible. Here highly ordered, high-crystal-quality, high-density Cu nanowire array was successfully fabricated by a magnetron sputtering method. The Cu nanowire array was successfully incorporated using mask-assisted deposition technology as electrodes for thin-film thermoelectric coolers, which would greatly improve electrical/thermal transport and enhance performance of micro-coolers. The cooling performance of the micro-cooler with Cu nanowire array electrode is over 200% higher than that of the cooler with ordinary film electrode.

Synthesis of nanostructures in nanowires using sequential catalyst reactions

DOE PAGES

Panciera, F.; Chou, Y. -C.; Reuter, M. C.; ...

2015-07-13

Nanowire growth by the vapour–liquid–solid (VLS) process enables a high level of control over nanowire composition, diameter, growth direction, branching and kinking, periodic twinning, and crystal structure. The tremendous impact of VLS-grown nanowires is due to this structural versatility, generating applications ranging from solid-state lighting and single-photon sources to thermoelectric devices. Here, we show that the morphology of these nanostructures can be further tailored by using the liquid droplets that catalyse nanowire growth as a ‘mixing bowl’, in which growth materials are sequentially supplied to nucleate new phases. Growing within the liquid, these phases adopt the shape of faceted nanocrystalsmore » that are then incorporated into the nanowires by further growth. Furthermore, we demonstrate this concept by epitaxially incorporating metal-silicide nanocrystals into Si nanowires with defect-free interfaces, and discuss how this process can be generalized to create complex nanowire-based heterostructures.« less

Synthesis of nanostructures in nanowires using sequential catalyst reactions

PubMed Central

Panciera, F.; Chou, Y.-C.; Reuter, M.C.; Zakharov, D.; Stach, E.A.; Hofmann, S.; Ross, F.M.

2016-01-01

Nanowire growth by the vapor-liquid-solid process enables a high level of control over nanowire composition, diameter, growth direction, branching and kinking, periodic twinning, and crystal structure. The tremendous impact of VLS-grown nanowires is due to this structural versatility, generating applications ranging from solid state lighting and single photon sources to thermoelectric devices. Here we show that the morphology of these nanostructures can be further tailored by using the liquid droplets that catalyze nanowire growth as a “mixing bowl”, in which growth materials are sequentially supplied to nucleate new phases. Growing within the liquid, these phases adopt the shape of faceted nanocrystals that are then incorporated into the nanowires by further growth. We demonstrate this concept by epitaxially incorporating metal silicide nanocrystals into Si nanowires with defect-free interfaces, and discuss how this process can be generalized to create complex nanowire-based heterostructures. PMID:26168344

Phase-field model of vapor-liquid-solid nanowire growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Nan; Upmanyu, Moneesh; Karma, Alain

2018-03-01

We present a multiphase-field model to describe quantitatively nanowire growth by the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) process. The free-energy functional of this model depends on three nonconserved order parameters that distinguish the vapor, liquid, and solid phases and describe the energetic properties of various interfaces, including arbitrary forms of anisotropic γ plots for the solid-vapor and solid-liquid interfaces. The evolution equations for those order parameters describe basic kinetic processes including the rapid (quasi-instantaneous) equilibration of the liquid catalyst to a droplet shape with constant mean curvature, the slow incorporation of growth atoms at the droplet surface, and crystallization within the droplet. The standard constraint that the sum of the phase fields equals unity and the conservation of the number of catalyst atoms, which relates the catalyst volume to the concentration of growth atoms inside the droplet, are handled via separate Lagrange multipliers. An analysis of the model is presented that rigorously maps the phase-field equations to a desired set of sharp-interface equations for the evolution of the phase boundaries under the constraint of force balance at three-phase junctions (triple points) given by the Young-Herring relation that includes torque term related to the anisotropy of the solid-liquid and solid-vapor interface excess free energies. Numerical examples of growth in two dimensions are presented for the simplest case of vanishing crystalline anisotropy and the more realistic case of a solid-liquid γ plot with cusped minima corresponding to two sets of (10 ) and (11 ) facets. The simulations reproduce many of the salient features of nanowire growth observed experimentally, including growth normal to the substrate with tapering of the side walls, transitions between different growth orientations, and crawling growth along the substrate. They also reproduce different observed relationships between the nanowire growth velocity and radius depending on the growth condition. For the basic normal growth mode, the steady-state solid-liquid interface tip shape consists of a main facet intersected by two truncated side facets ending at triple points. The ratio of truncated and main facet lengths are in quantitative agreement with the prediction of sharp-interface theory that is developed here for faceted nanowire growth in two dimensions.

Two-dimensional nanowires on homoepitaxial interfaces: Atomic-scale mechanism of breakdown and disintegration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michailov, Michail; Ranguelov, Bogdan

2018-03-01

We present a model for hole-mediated spontaneous breakdown of ahomoepitaxial two-dimensional (2D) flat nanowire based exclusively on random, thermally-activated motion of atoms. The model suggests a consecutive three-step mechanism driving the rupture and complete disintegration of the nanowire on a crystalline surface. The breakdown scenario includes: (i) local narrowing of a part of the stripe to a monatomic chain, (ii) formation of a recoverable single vacancy or a 2D vacancy cluster that causes temporary nanowire rupture, (iii) formation of a non-recoverable 2D hole leading to permanent nanowire breakdown. These successive events in the temporal evolution of the nanowire morphology bring the nanowire stripe into an irreversible unstable state, leading to a dramatic change in its peculiar physical properties and conductivity. The atomistic simulations also reveal a strong increase of the nanowire lifetime with an enlargement of its width and open up a way for a fine atomic-scale control of the nanowire lifetime and structural, morphological and thermodynamic stability.

One step biofunctionalized electrospun multiwalled carbon nanotubes embedded zinc oxide nanowire interface for highly sensitive detection of carcinoma antigen-125.

PubMed

Paul, K Brince; Singh, Vikrant; Vanjari, Siva Rama Krishna; Singh, Shiv Govind

2017-02-15

Ovarian cancer is the most leading cause of cancer-related death in women . The carcinoma antigen-125, which is found on the surface of many ovarian cancer cells is known to be a gold standard clinical biomarker associated with life-threatening gynecological malignancy. In this work, we demonstrate a novel biosensor platform based on multiwalled carbon nanotubes embedded zinc oxide nanowire for the ultrasensitive detection of carcinoma antigen-125. Label free detection of the carcinoma antigen-125 was accomplished by differential voltammetry technique that demonstrated excellent sensitivity (90.14µA/(U/mL)/cm 2 ) with a detection limit of 0.00113UmL -1 concentration. The fabricated immunosensor exhibits good performance with wider detection range (0.001UmL -1 -1kUmL -1 ), reproducibility, selectivity, acceptable stability, and thus is a potential cost-effective methodology for point-of-care diagnosis. The multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) embedded highly oriented zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires were synthesized by simple, low cost electrospinning technique. Compared to pure ZnO nanowires, electrochemical activity of MWCNTs embedded ZnO nanowires was found to be much higher. The calcination temperature was optimized to avoid any decomposition of the CNTs and to obtain multiwalled carbon nanotubes embedded highly crystalline ZnO nanowires. The salient feature of this biosensing platform is that one step calcination process is enough to create the functional groups on MWCNT-ZnO nanowire surface that are effective for the covalent conjugation of antibody without further surface modification. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on MWCNT-ZnO nanowire based immunosensor explored for the detection of cancer biomarker. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Interface dynamics and crystal phase switching in GaAs nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacobsson, Daniel; Panciera, Federico; Tersoff, Jerry; Reuter, Mark C.; Lehmann, Sebastian; Hofmann, Stephan; Dick, Kimberly A.; Ross, Frances M.

2016-03-01

Controlled formation of non-equilibrium crystal structures is one of the most important challenges in crystal growth. Catalytically grown nanowires are ideal systems for studying the fundamental physics of phase selection, and could lead to new electronic applications based on the engineering of crystal phases. Here we image gallium arsenide (GaAs) nanowires during growth as they switch between phases as a result of varying growth conditions. We find clear differences between the growth dynamics of the phases, including differences in interface morphology, step flow and catalyst geometry. We explain these differences, and the phase selection, using a model that relates the catalyst volume, the contact angle at the trijunction (the point at which solid, liquid and vapour meet) and the nucleation site of each new layer of GaAs. This model allows us to predict the conditions under which each phase should be observed, and use these predictions to design GaAs heterostructures. These results could apply to phase selection in other nanowire systems.

Interface dynamics and crystal phase switching in GaAs nanowires.

PubMed

Jacobsson, Daniel; Panciera, Federico; Tersoff, Jerry; Reuter, Mark C; Lehmann, Sebastian; Hofmann, Stephan; Dick, Kimberly A; Ross, Frances M

2016-03-17

Controlled formation of non-equilibrium crystal structures is one of the most important challenges in crystal growth. Catalytically grown nanowires are ideal systems for studying the fundamental physics of phase selection, and could lead to new electronic applications based on the engineering of crystal phases. Here we image gallium arsenide (GaAs) nanowires during growth as they switch between phases as a result of varying growth conditions. We find clear differences between the growth dynamics of the phases, including differences in interface morphology, step flow and catalyst geometry. We explain these differences, and the phase selection, using a model that relates the catalyst volume, the contact angle at the trijunction (the point at which solid, liquid and vapour meet) and the nucleation site of each new layer of GaAs. This model allows us to predict the conditions under which each phase should be observed, and use these predictions to design GaAs heterostructures. These results could apply to phase selection in other nanowire systems.

CdTe quantum-dot-modified ZnO nanowire heterostructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shahi, Kanchana; Singh, R. S.; Singh, Ajaya Kumar; Aleksandrova, Mariya; Khenata, Rabah

2018-03-01

The effect of CdTe quantum-dot (QD) decoration on the photoluminescence (PL) behaviour of ZnO nanowire (NW) array is presented in the present work. Highly crystalline and vertically 40-50 nm diameter range and 1 µm in length aligned ZnO NWs are synthesized using low-cost method. The crystallinity and morphology of the NWs are studied by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray powder diffraction methods.Optical properties of the nanowires are studied using photo-response and PL spectroscopy. CdTe QDs are successfully synthesized on ZnO nanowire surface by dip-coating method. ZnO NWs are sensitized with CdTe QDs characterized by transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and PL spectroscopy. The highly quenched PL intensity indicates the charge transfer at interface between CdTe QDs and ZnO NWs and is due to the formation of type-II heterostructure between QDs and NWs. Photo-response behaviour of heterostructure of the film is also been incorporated in the present work.

Analysis of an anti-reflecting nanowire transparent electrode for solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Zhexin; Wang, Ken Xingze; Fan, Shanhui

2017-03-01

Transparent electrodes are an important component in many optoelectronic devices, especially solar cells. In this paper, we investigate a nanowire transparent electrode that also functions as an anti-reflection coating for silicon solar cells, taking into account the practical constraints that the electrode is typically encapsulated and needs to be in electric contact with the semiconductor. Numerical simulations show that the electrode can provide near-perfect broadband anti-reflection over much of the frequency range above the silicon band gap for both polarizations while keeping the sheet resistance sufficiently low. To provide insights into the physics mechanism of this broadband anti-reflection, we introduce a generalized Fabry-Perot model, which captures the effects of the higher order diffraction channels as well as the modification of the reflection coefficient of the interface introduced by the nanowires. This model is validated using frequency-domain electromagnetic simulations. Our work here provides design guidelines for nanowire transparent electrode in a device configuration that is relevant for solar cell applications.

Nanowire-Based Electrode for Acute In Vivo Neural Recordings in the Brain

PubMed Central

Suyatin, Dmitry B.; Wallman, Lars; Thelin, Jonas; Prinz, Christelle N.; Jörntell, Henrik; Samuelson, Lars; Montelius, Lars; Schouenborg, Jens

2013-01-01

We present an electrode, based on structurally controlled nanowires, as a first step towards developing a useful nanostructured device for neurophysiological measurements in vivo. The sensing part of the electrode is made of a metal film deposited on top of an array of epitaxially grown gallium phosphide nanowires. We achieved the first functional testing of the nanowire-based electrode by performing acute in vivo recordings in the rat cerebral cortex and withstanding multiple brain implantations. Due to the controllable geometry of the nanowires, this type of electrode can be used as a model system for further analysis of the functional properties of nanostructured neuronal interfaces in vivo. PMID:23431387

Topotaxial growth of α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanowires on iron substrate in thermal annealing method

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Srivastava, Himanshu, E-mail: himsri@rrcat.gov.in; Srivastava, A. K.; Babu, Mahendra

2016-06-28

A detail cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy of as-grown α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanowire sample, synthesized on iron substrate by thermal annealing method, was carried out to understand the mechanism of growth in this system. Iron undergoes sequential oxidation to form a layered structure of Fe/FeO/Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}/α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}. α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanowires grow on to the top of α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} layer. It was found that subsequent oxide layers grow topotaxially on the grains of iron, which results in a direct orientation relationship between the α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanowire and the parent grain of iron. The results also showed thatmore » the grains of α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} layer, which were uniquely oriented in [110] direction, undergo highly anisotropic growth to form the nanowire. This anisotropic growth occurs at a twin interface, given by (−11−1), in the α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} layer. It was concluded that the growth at twin interface could be the main driving factor for such anisotropic growth. These observations are not only helpful in understanding the growth mechanism of α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanowires, but it also demonstrates a way of patterning the nanowires by controlling the texture of iron substrate.« less

SnO 2 nanowires decorated with forsythia-like TiO 2 for photoenergy conversion

DOE PAGES

Park, Ik Jae; Park, Sangbaek; Kim, Dong Hoe; ...

2017-05-17

Here, we report forsythia-like TiO 2-decorated SnO 2 nanowires on fluorine-doped SnO 2 electrode as a photoelectrode of dye-sensitized solar cells. When SnO 2 nanowires grown via vapor-liquid-solid reaction were soaked in TiCl 4 solution, leaf-shaped rutile TiO 2 was grown onto the surface of the nanowires. The TiO 2 decoration increases the short circuit current (J sc), open circuit voltage (V oc) and fill factor (FF) of dye-sensitized solar cells. Further, electron lifetime increased by employing an atomic-layer-deposited TiO 2 nanoshell between the TiO 2 leaves and the SnO 2 nanowire, due to preventing charge recombination at the nanowire/electrolytemore » interface.« less

SnO 2 nanowires decorated with forsythia-like TiO 2 for photoenergy conversion

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Park, Ik Jae; Park, Sangbaek; Kim, Dong Hoe

Here, we report forsythia-like TiO 2-decorated SnO 2 nanowires on fluorine-doped SnO 2 electrode as a photoelectrode of dye-sensitized solar cells. When SnO 2 nanowires grown via vapor-liquid-solid reaction were soaked in TiCl 4 solution, leaf-shaped rutile TiO 2 was grown onto the surface of the nanowires. The TiO 2 decoration increases the short circuit current (J sc), open circuit voltage (V oc) and fill factor (FF) of dye-sensitized solar cells. Further, electron lifetime increased by employing an atomic-layer-deposited TiO 2 nanoshell between the TiO 2 leaves and the SnO 2 nanowire, due to preventing charge recombination at the nanowire/electrolytemore » interface.« less

Fabrication of nanowire electronics on nonconventional substrates by water-assisted transfer printing method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Chi Hwan; Kim, Dong Rip; Zheng, Xiaolin

2015-06-01

We report a simple, versatile, and wafer-scale water-assisted transfer printing method (WTP) that enables the transfer of nanowire devices onto diverse nonconventional substrates that were not easily accessible before, such as paper, plastics, tapes, glass, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), aluminum foil, and ultrathin polymer substrates. The WTP method relies on the phenomenon of water penetrating into the interface between Ni and SiO2. The transfer yield is nearly 100%, and the transferred devices, including NW resistors, diodes, and field effect transistors, maintain their original geometries and electronic properties with high fidelity.

Combined flame and solution synthesis of nanoscale tungsten-oxide and zinc/tin-oxide heterostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Zhizhong; Huo, Di; Kear, Bernard H.; Tse, Stephen D.

2015-12-01

Heterostructures of tungsten-oxide nanowires decorated with zinc/tin-oxide nanostructures are synthesized via a combined flame and solution synthesis approach. Vertically well-aligned tungsten-oxide nanowires are grown on a tungsten substrate by a flame synthesis method. Here, tetragonal WO2.9 nanowires (diameters of 20-50 nm, lengths >10 μm, and coverage density of 109-1010 cm-2) are produced by the vapor-solid mechanism at 1720 K. Various kinds of Zn/Sn-oxide nanostructures are grown or deposited on the WO2.9 nanowires by adjusting the Sn2+ : Zn2+ molar ratio in an aqueous ethylenediamine solution at 65 °C. With WO2.9 nanowires serving as the base structures, sequential growth or deposition on them of hexagonal ZnO nanoplates, Zn2SnO4 nanocubes, and SnO2 nanoparticles are attained for Sn2+ : Zn2+ ratios of 0 : 1, 1 : 10, and 10 : 1, respectively, along with different saturation conditions. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy of the interfaces at the nanoheterojunctions shows abrupt interfaces for ZnO/WO2.9 and Zn2SnO4/WO2.9, despite lattice mismatches of >20%.

In situ control of synchronous germanide/silicide reactions with Ge/Si core/shell nanowires to monitor formation and strain evolution in abrupt 2.7 nm channel length

DOE PAGES

Chen, Renjie; Nguyen, Binh-Minh; Tang, Wei; ...

2017-05-22

The metal-semiconductor interface in self-aligned contact formation can determine the overall performance of nanoscale devices. This interfacial morphology is predicted and well researched in homogenous semiconductor nanowires (NWs) but was not pursued in heterostructured core/shell nanowires. Here, we found here that the solid-state reactions between Ni and Ge/Si core/shell nanowires resulted in a protruded and a leading NiSiy segment into the channel. A single Ni 2Ge/NiSi y to Ge/Si core/shell interface was achieved by the selective shell removal near the Ni source/drain contact areas. In using in situ transmission electron microscopy, we measured the growth rate and anisotropic strain evolutionmore » in ultra-short channels. We also found elevated compressive strains near the interface between the compound contact and the NW and relatively lower strains near the center of the channel which increased exponentially below the 10 nm channel length to exceed 10% strain at ~3 nm lengths. These compressive strains are expected to result in a non-homogeneous energy band structure in Ge/Si core/shell NWs below 10 nm and potentially benefit their transistor performance.« less

In situ control of synchronous germanide/silicide reactions with Ge/Si core/shell nanowires to monitor formation and strain evolution in abrupt 2.7 nm channel length

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, Renjie; Nguyen, Binh-Minh; Tang, Wei

The metal-semiconductor interface in self-aligned contact formation can determine the overall performance of nanoscale devices. This interfacial morphology is predicted and well researched in homogenous semiconductor nanowires (NWs) but was not pursued in heterostructured core/shell nanowires. Here, we found here that the solid-state reactions between Ni and Ge/Si core/shell nanowires resulted in a protruded and a leading NiSiy segment into the channel. A single Ni 2Ge/NiSi y to Ge/Si core/shell interface was achieved by the selective shell removal near the Ni source/drain contact areas. In using in situ transmission electron microscopy, we measured the growth rate and anisotropic strain evolutionmore » in ultra-short channels. We also found elevated compressive strains near the interface between the compound contact and the NW and relatively lower strains near the center of the channel which increased exponentially below the 10 nm channel length to exceed 10% strain at ~3 nm lengths. These compressive strains are expected to result in a non-homogeneous energy band structure in Ge/Si core/shell NWs below 10 nm and potentially benefit their transistor performance.« less

A III-V nanowire channel on silicon for high-performance vertical transistors.

PubMed

Tomioka, Katsuhiro; Yoshimura, Masatoshi; Fukui, Takashi

2012-08-09

Silicon transistors are expected to have new gate architectures, channel materials and switching mechanisms in ten years' time. The trend in transistor scaling has already led to a change in gate structure from two dimensions to three, used in fin field-effect transistors, to avoid problems inherent in miniaturization such as high off-state leakage current and the short-channel effect. At present, planar and fin architectures using III-V materials, specifically InGaAs, are being explored as alternative fast channels on silicon because of their high electron mobility and high-quality interface with gate dielectrics. The idea of surrounding-gate transistors, in which the gate is wrapped around a nanowire channel to provide the best possible electrostatic gate control, using InGaAs channels on silicon, however, has been less well investigated because of difficulties in integrating free-standing InGaAs nanostructures on silicon. Here we report the position-controlled growth of vertical InGaAs nanowires on silicon without any buffering technique and demonstrate surrounding-gate transistors using InGaAs nanowires and InGaAs/InP/InAlAs/InGaAs core-multishell nanowires as channels. Surrounding-gate transistors using core-multishell nanowire channels with a six-sided, high-electron-mobility transistor structure greatly enhance the on-state current and transconductance while keeping good gate controllability. These devices provide a route to making vertically oriented transistors for the next generation of field-effect transistors and may be useful as building blocks for wireless networks on silicon platforms.

Self-assembly of metal nanowires induced by alternating current electric fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

García-Sánchez, Pablo; Arcenegui, Juan J.; Morgan, Hywel; Ramos, Antonio

2015-01-01

We describe the reversible assembly of an aqueous suspension of metal nanowires into two different 2-dimensional stable configurations. The assembly is induced by an AC electric field of magnitude around 10 kV/m. It is known that single metal nanowires orientate parallel to the electric field for all values of applied frequency, according to two different mechanisms depending on the frequency. These different mechanisms also govern the mutual interaction between nanowires, which leads to directed-assembly into distinctive structures, the shape of which depends on the frequency of the applied field. We show that for frequencies higher than the typical frequency for charging the electrical double layer at the metal-electrolyte interface, dipole-dipole interaction leads to the formation of chains of nanowires. For lower frequencies, the nanowires form wavy bands perpendicular to the electric field direction. This behavior appears to be driven by the electroosmotic flow induced on the metal surface of the nanowires. Remarkably, no similar structures have been reported in previous studies of nanowires.

Reaction growth of MF2/a-C (M = Ca, Mg) core/shell nanowires at the interface of vapor and solid reactants.

PubMed

Huang, Chih-Hao; Chang, Yu-Hsu; Lee, Chi-Young; Chiu, Hsin-Tien

2006-01-03

C(6)F(6) vapor is employed to react with CaC(2) and Mg(3)N(2) to grow CaF(2)/a-C and Mg(2)F(2)/a-C core/shell nanowires (tens of micrometers in length, tens to hundreds of nanometers in wire diameter, and tens of nanometers in core diameter), respectively, in high yields. The growth mechanism is proposed to proceed via a reaction at the interface of the vapor and solid reactants.

The influence of passivation and photovoltaic properties of α-Si:H coverage on silicon nanowire array solar cells

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Silicon nanowire (SiNW) arrays for radial p-n junction solar cells offer potential advantages of light trapping effects and quick charge collection. Nevertheless, lower open circuit voltages (Voc) lead to lower energy conversion efficiencies. In such cases, the performance of the solar cells depends critically on the quality of the SiNW interfaces. In this study, SiNW core-shell solar cells have been fabricated by growing crystalline silicon (c-Si) nanowires via the metal-assisted chemical etching method and by depositing hydrogenated amorphous silicon (α-Si:H) via the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method. The influence of deposition parameters on the coverage and, consequently, the passivation and photovoltaic properties of α-Si:H layers on SiNW solar cells have been analyzed. PMID:24059343

Structural modulation of nanowire interfaces grown over selectively disrupted single crystal surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garratt, E.; Nikoobakht, B.

2015-08-01

Recent breakthroughs in deterministic approaches to the fabrication of nanowire arrays have demonstrated the possibility of fabricating such networks using low-cost scalable methods. In this regard, we have developed a scalable growth platform for lateral fabrication of nanocrystals with high precision utilizing lattice match and symmetry. Using this planar architecture, a number of homo- and heterostructures have been demonstrated including ZnO nanowires grown over GaN. The latter combination produces horizontal, epitaxially formed crystals aligned in the plane of the substrate containing a very low number of intrinsic defects. We use such ordered structures as model systems in the interests of gauging the interfacial structural dynamics in relation to external stimuli. Nanosecond pulses of focused ion beams are used to slightly modify the substrate surface and selectively form lattice disorders in the path of nanowire growth to examine the nanocrystal, namely: its directionality and lattice defects. High resolution electron microscopies are used to reveal some interesting structural effects; for instance, a minimum threshold of surface defects that can divert nanowires. We also discuss data indicating formation of surface strains and show their mitigation during the growth process.

InP-InxGa1-xAs core-multi-shell nanowire quantum wells with tunable emission in the 1.3-1.55 μm wavelength range.

PubMed

Fonseka, H A; Ameruddin, A S; Caroff, P; Tedeschi, D; De Luca, M; Mura, F; Guo, Y; Lysevych, M; Wang, F; Tan, H H; Polimeni, A; Jagadish, C

2017-09-21

The usability and tunability of the essential InP-InGaAs material combination in nanowire-based quantum wells (QWs) are assessed. The wurtzite phase core-multi-shell InP-InGaAs-InP nanowire QWs are characterised using cross-section transmission electron microscopy and photoluminescence measurements. The InP-InGaAs direct interface is found to be sharp while the InGaAs-InP inverted interface is more diffused, in agreement with their planar counterpart. Bright emission is observed from the single nanowires containing the QWs at room temperature, with no emission from the InP core or outer barrier. The tunability of the QW emission wavelength in the 1.3-1.55 μm communication wavelength range is demonstrated by varying the QW thickness and in the 1.3 μm range by varying the composition. The experiments are supported by simulation of the emission wavelength of the wurtzite phase InP-InGaAs QWs in the thickness range considered. The radial heterostructure is further extended to design multiple QWs with bright emission, therefore establishing the capability of this material system for nanowire based optical devices for communication applications.

Piezotronic nanowire-based resistive switches as programmable electromechanical memories.

PubMed

Wu, Wenzhuo; Wang, Zhong Lin

2011-07-13

We present the first piezoelectrically modulated resistive switching device based on piezotronic ZnO nanowire (NW), through which the write/read access of the memory cell is programmed via electromechanical modulation. Adjusted by the strain-induced polarization charges created at the semiconductor/metal interface under externally applied deformation by the piezoelectric effect, the resistive switching characteristics of the cell can be modulated in a controlled manner, and the logic levels of the strain stored in the cell can be recorded and read out, which has the potential for integrating with NEMS technology to achieve micro/nanosystems capable for intelligent and self-sufficient multidimensional operations.

Surface/Interface Carrier-Transport Modulation for Constructing Photon-Alternative Ultraviolet Detectors Based on Self-Bending-Assembled ZnO Nanowires.

PubMed

Guo, Zhen; Zhou, Lianqun; Tang, Yuguo; Li, Lin; Zhang, Zhiqi; Yang, Hongbo; Ma, Hanbin; Nathan, Arokia; Zhao, Dongxu

2017-09-13

Surface/interface charge-carrier generation, diffusion, and recombination/transport modulation are especially important in the construction of photodetectors with high efficiency in the field of nanoscience. In the paper, a kind of ultraviolet (UV) detector is designed based on ZnO nanostructures considering photon-trapping, surface plasmonic resonance (SPR), piezophototronic effects, interface carrier-trapping/transport control, and collection. Through carefully optimized surface/interface carrier-transport modulation, a designed device with detectivity as high as 1.69 × 10 16 /1.71 × 10 16 cm·Hz 1/2 /W irradiating with 380 nm photons under ultralow bias of 0.2 V is realized by alternating nanoparticle/nanowire active layers, respectively, and the designed UV photodetectors show fast and slow recovery processes of 0.27 and 4.52 ms, respectively, which well-satisfy practical needs. Further, it is observed that UV photodetection could be performed within an alternative response by varying correlated key parameters, through efficient surface/interface carrier-transport modulation, spectrally resolved photoresponse of the detector revealing controlled detection in the UV region based on the ZnO nanomaterial, photodetection allowed or limited by varying the active layers, irradiation distance from one of the electrodes, standing states, or electric field. The detailed carrier generation, diffusion, and recombination/transport processes are well illustrated to explain charge-carrier dynamics contributing to the photoresponse behavior.

Improving the electrical contact at a Pt/TiO2 nanowire interface by selective application of focused femtosecond laser irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xing, Songling; Lin, Luchan; Zou, Guisheng; Liu, Lei; Peng, Peng; Wu, Aiping; Duley, Walter W.; Zhou, Y. Norman

2017-10-01

In this paper, we show that tightly focused femtosecond laser irradiation is effective in improving nanojoining of an oxide nanowire (NW) (TiO2) to a metal electrode (Pt), and how this process can be used to modify contact states. Enhanced chemical bondings are created due to localized plasmonically enhanced optical absorption at the Pt/TiO2 interface as confirmed by finite element simulations of the localized field distribution during irradiation. Nano Auger electron spectroscopy shows that the resulting heterojunction is depleted in oxygen, suggesting that a TiO2-x layer is formed between the Pt electrode and the TiO2 NW. The presence of this redox layer at the metal/oxide interface plays an important role in decreasing the Schottky barrier height and in facilitating chemical bonding. After laser irradiation at the cathode for 10 s at a fluence of 5.02 mJ cm-2, the Pt/TiO2 NW/Pt structure displays different electrical properties under forward and reverse bias voltage, respectively. The creation of this asymmetric electrical characteristic shows the way in which modification of the electronic interface by laser engineering can replace the electroforming process in resistive switching devices and how it can be used to control contact states in a metal/oxide interface.

Improving the electrical contact at a Pt/TiO2 nanowire interface by selective application of focused femtosecond laser irradiation.

PubMed

Xing, Songling; Lin, Luchan; Zou, Guisheng; Liu, Lei; Peng, Peng; Wu, Aiping; Duley, Walter W; Zhou, Y Norman

2017-10-06

In this paper, we show that tightly focused femtosecond laser irradiation is effective in improving nanojoining of an oxide nanowire (NW) (TiO 2 ) to a metal electrode (Pt), and how this process can be used to modify contact states. Enhanced chemical bondings are created due to localized plasmonically enhanced optical absorption at the Pt/TiO 2 interface as confirmed by finite element simulations of the localized field distribution during irradiation. Nano Auger electron spectroscopy shows that the resulting heterojunction is depleted in oxygen, suggesting that a TiO 2-x layer is formed between the Pt electrode and the TiO 2 NW. The presence of this redox layer at the metal/oxide interface plays an important role in decreasing the Schottky barrier height and in facilitating chemical bonding. After laser irradiation at the cathode for 10 s at a fluence of 5.02 mJ cm -2 , the Pt/TiO 2 NW/Pt structure displays different electrical properties under forward and reverse bias voltage, respectively. The creation of this asymmetric electrical characteristic shows the way in which modification of the electronic interface by laser engineering can replace the electroforming process in resistive switching devices and how it can be used to control contact states in a metal/oxide interface.

Ballistic superconductivity in semiconductor nanowires.

PubMed

Zhang, Hao; Gül, Önder; Conesa-Boj, Sonia; Nowak, Michał P; Wimmer, Michael; Zuo, Kun; Mourik, Vincent; de Vries, Folkert K; van Veen, Jasper; de Moor, Michiel W A; Bommer, Jouri D S; van Woerkom, David J; Car, Diana; Plissard, Sébastien R; Bakkers, Erik P A M; Quintero-Pérez, Marina; Cassidy, Maja C; Koelling, Sebastian; Goswami, Srijit; Watanabe, Kenji; Taniguchi, Takashi; Kouwenhoven, Leo P

2017-07-06

Semiconductor nanowires have opened new research avenues in quantum transport owing to their confined geometry and electrostatic tunability. They have offered an exceptional testbed for superconductivity, leading to the realization of hybrid systems combining the macroscopic quantum properties of superconductors with the possibility to control charges down to a single electron. These advances brought semiconductor nanowires to the forefront of efforts to realize topological superconductivity and Majorana modes. A prime challenge to benefit from the topological properties of Majoranas is to reduce the disorder in hybrid nanowire devices. Here we show ballistic superconductivity in InSb semiconductor nanowires. Our structural and chemical analyses demonstrate a high-quality interface between the nanowire and a NbTiN superconductor that enables ballistic transport. This is manifested by a quantized conductance for normal carriers, a strongly enhanced conductance for Andreev-reflecting carriers, and an induced hard gap with a significantly reduced density of states. These results pave the way for disorder-free Majorana devices.

Photoconductive properties of Bi{sub 2}S{sub 3} nanowires

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Andzane, J., E-mail: jana.andzane@lu.lv; Kunakova, G.; Erts, D.

2015-02-14

The photoconductive properties of Bi{sub 2}S{sub 3} nanowires synthesized inside anodized alumina (AAO) membrane have been characterized as a function of illuminating photon energy between the wavelengths of 500 to 900 nm and at constant illumination intensity of 1–4 μW·cm{sup −2}. Photoconductivity spectra, photocurrent values, photocurrent onset/decay times of individual Bi{sub 2}S{sub 3} nanowires liberated from the AAO membrane were determined and compared with those of arrays of as-produced Bi{sub 2}S{sub 3} nanowires templated inside pores of AAO membrane. The alumina membrane was found to significantly influence the photoconductive properties of the AAO-hosted Bi{sub 2}S{sub 3} nanowires, when compared to liberated frommore » the AAO membrane individual Bi{sub 2}S{sub 3} nanowires, possibly due to charge carrier trapping at the interface between the nanowire surface and the pore walls.« less

Fabrication of Si/ZnS radial nanowire heterojunction arrays for white light emitting devices on Si substrates.

PubMed

Katiyar, Ajit K; Sinha, Arun Kumar; Manna, Santanu; Ray, Samit K

2014-09-10

Well-separated Si/ZnS radial nanowire heterojunction-based light-emitting devices have been fabricated on large-area substrates by depositing n-ZnS film on p-type nanoporous Si nanowire templates. Vertically oriented porous Si nanowires on p-Si substrates have been grown by metal-assisted chemical etching catalyzed using Au nanoparticles. Isolated Si nanowires with needle-shaped arrays have been made by KOH treatment before ZnS deposition. Electrically driven efficient white light emission from radial heterojunction arrays has been achieved under a low forward bias condition. The observed white light emission is attributed to blue and green emission from the defect-related radiative transition of ZnS and Si/ZnS interface, respectively, while the red arises from the porous surface of the Si nanowire core. The observed white light emission from the Si/ZnS nanowire heterojunction could open up the new possibility to integrate Si-based optical sources on a large scale.

Photosensitization of ZnO nanowires with CdSe quantum dots for photovoltaic devices.

PubMed

Leschkies, Kurtis S; Divakar, Ramachandran; Basu, Joysurya; Enache-Pommer, Emil; Boercker, Janice E; Carter, C Barry; Kortshagen, Uwe R; Norris, David J; Aydil, Eray S

2007-06-01

We combine CdSe semiconductor nanocrystals (or quantum dots) and single-crystal ZnO nanowires to demonstrate a new type of quantum-dot-sensitized solar cell. An array of ZnO nanowires was grown vertically from a fluorine-doped tin oxide conducting substrate. CdSe quantum dots, capped with mercaptopropionic acid, were attached to the surface of the nanowires. When illuminated with visible light, the excited CdSe quantum dots injected electrons across the quantum dot-nanowire interface. The morphology of the nanowires then provided the photoinjected electrons with a direct electrical pathway to the photoanode. With a liquid electrolyte as the hole transport medium, quantum-dot-sensitized nanowire solar cells exhibited short-circuit currents ranging from 1 to 2 mA/cm2 and open-circuit voltages of 0.5-0.6 V when illuminated with 100 mW/cm2 simulated AM1.5 spectrum. Internal quantum efficiencies as high as 50-60% were also obtained.

Optoelectrical modeling of solar cells based on c-Si/a-Si:H nanowire array: focus on the electrical transport in between the nanowires.

PubMed

Levtchenko, Alexandra; Le Gall, Sylvain; Lachaume, Raphaël; Michallon, Jérôme; Collin, Stéphane; Alvarez, José; Djebbour, Zakaria; Kleider, Jean-Paul

2018-06-22

By coupling optical and electrical modeling, we have investigated the photovoltaic performances of p-i-n radial nanowires array based on crystalline p-type silicon (c-Si) core/hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) shell. By varying either the doping concentration of the c-Si core, or back contact work function we can separate and highlight the contribution to the cell's performance of the nanowires themselves (the radial cell) from the interspace between the nanowires (the planar cell). We show that the build-in potential (V bi ) in the radial and planar cells strongly depends on the doping of c-Si core and the work function of the back contact respectively. Consequently, the solar cell's performance is degraded if either the doping concentration of the c-Si core, or/and the work function of the back contact is too low. By inserting a thin (p) a-Si:H layer between both core/absorber and back contact/absorber, the performance of the solar cell can be improved by partly fixing the V bi at both interfaces due to strong electrostatic screening effect. Depositing such a buffer layer playing the role of an electrostatic screen for charge carriers is a suggested way of enhancing the performance of solar cells based on radial p-i-n or n-i-p nanowire array.

Optoelectrical modeling of solar cells based on c-Si/a-Si:H nanowire array: focus on the electrical transport in between the nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levtchenko, Alexandra; Le Gall, Sylvain; Lachaume, Raphaël; Michallon, Jérôme; Collin, Stéphane; Alvarez, José; Djebbour, Zakaria; Kleider, Jean-Paul

2018-06-01

By coupling optical and electrical modeling, we have investigated the photovoltaic performances of p-i-n radial nanowires array based on crystalline p-type silicon (c-Si) core/hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) shell. By varying either the doping concentration of the c-Si core, or back contact work function we can separate and highlight the contribution to the cell’s performance of the nanowires themselves (the radial cell) from the interspace between the nanowires (the planar cell). We show that the build-in potential (V bi) in the radial and planar cells strongly depends on the doping of c-Si core and the work function of the back contact respectively. Consequently, the solar cell’s performance is degraded if either the doping concentration of the c-Si core, or/and the work function of the back contact is too low. By inserting a thin (p) a-Si:H layer between both core/absorber and back contact/absorber, the performance of the solar cell can be improved by partly fixing the V bi at both interfaces due to strong electrostatic screening effect. Depositing such a buffer layer playing the role of an electrostatic screen for charge carriers is a suggested way of enhancing the performance of solar cells based on radial p-i-n or n-i-p nanowire array.

Development of solution-processed nanowire composites for opto-electronics

DOE PAGES

Ginley, David S.; Aggarwal, Shruti; Singh, Rajiv; ...

2016-12-20

Here, silver nanowire-based contacts represent one of the major new directions in transparent contacts for opto-electronic devices with the added advantage that they can have Indium-Tin-Oxide-like properties at substantially reduced processing temperatures and without the use of vacuum-based processing. However, nanowires alone often do not adhere well to the substrate or other film interfaces; even after a relatively high-temperature anneal and unencapsulated nanowires show environmental degradation at high temperature and humidity. Here we report on the development of ZnO/Ag-nanowire composites that have sheet resistance below 10 Ω/sq and >90% transmittance from a solution-based process with process temperatures below 200 °C.more » These films have significant applications potential in photovoltaics and displays.« less

Coaxial metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) Au/Ga2O3/GaN nanowires.

PubMed

Hsieh, Chin-Hua; Chang, Mu-Tung; Chien, Yu-Jen; Chou, Li-Jen; Chen, Lih-Juann; Chen, Chii-Dong

2008-10-01

Coaxial metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) Au-Ga2O3-GaN heterostructure nanowires were successfully fabricated by an in situ two-step process. The Au-Ga2O3 core-shell nanowires were first synthesized by the reaction of Ga powder, a mediated Au thin layer, and a SiO2 substrate at 800 degrees C. Subsequently, these core-shell nanowires were nitridized in ambient ammonia to form a GaN coating layer at 600 degrees C. The GaN shell is a single crystal, an atomic flat interface between the oxide and semiconductor that ensures that the high quality of the MOS device is achieved. These novel 1D nitride-based MOS nanowires may have promise as building blocks to the future nitride-based vertical nanodevices.

Optical regulation of protein adsorption and cell adhesion by photoresponsive GaN nanowires.

PubMed

Li, Jingying; Han, Qiusen; Zhang, Ying; Zhang, Wei; Dong, Mingdong; Besenbacher, Flemming; Yang, Rong; Wang, Chen

2013-10-09

Interfacing nanowires with living cells is attracting more and more interest due to the potential applications, such as cell culture engineering and drug delivery. We report on the feasibility of using photoresponsive semiconductor gallium nitride (GaN) nanowires (NWs) for regulating the behaviors of biomolecules and cells at the nano/biointerface. The GaN NWs have been fabricated by a facile chemical vapor deposition method. The superhydrophobicity to superhydrophilicity transition of the NWs is achieved by UV illumination. Bovine serum albumin adsorption could be modulated by photoresponsive GaN NWs. Tunable cell detachment and adhesion are also observed. The mechanism of the NW surface responsible for modulating both of protein adsorption and cell adhesion is discussed. These observations of the modulation effects on protein adsorption and cell adhesion by GaN NWs could provide a novel approach toward the regulation of the behaviors of biomolecules and cells at the nano/biointerface, which may be of considerable importance in the development of high-performance semiconductor nanowire-based biomedical devices for cell culture engineering, bioseparation, and diagnostics.

Photo-assisted hysteresis of electronic transport for ZnO nanowire transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, Qianqian; Ye, Jiandong; Xu, Zhonghua; Zhu, Shunming; Tang, Kun; Gu, Shulin; Zheng, Youdou

2018-03-01

Recently, ZnO nanowire field effect transistors (FETs) have received renewed interest due to their extraordinary low dimensionality and high sensitivity to external chemical environments and illumination conditions. These prominent properties have promising potential in nanoscale chemical and photo-sensors. In this article, we have fabricated ZnO nanowire FETs and have found hysteresis behavior in their transfer characteristics. The mechanism and dynamics of the hysteresis phenomena have been investigated in detail by varying the sweeping rate and range of the gate bias with and without light irradiation. Significantly, light irradiation is of great importance on charge trapping by regulating adsorption and desorption of oxygen at the interface of ZnO/SiO2. Carriers excited by light irradiation can dramatically promote trapping/detrapping processes. With the assistance of light illumination, we have demonstrated a photon-assisted nonvolatile memory which employs the ZnO nanowire FET. The device exhibits reliable programming/erasing operations and a large on/off ratio. The proposed proto-type memory has thus provided a possible novel path for creating a memory functionality to other low-dimensional material systems.

Luminescence emission from Al0.3Ga0.7N/GaN multi quantum disc core/shell nanowire: Numerical approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Namvari, E.; Shojaei, S.; Asgari, A.

2017-09-01

In this work, a numerical approach to investigate the room temperature luminescence emission from core/shell nanowire is presented where GaN quantum discs (QDiscs), periodically distributed in AlxGa1-xN nanowire, is considered as core and AlxGa1-xN as shell. Thin disc shaped (Ring shaped) n-doped region has been placed at the GaN/ AlxGa1-xN (AlxGa1-xN /air) interface in AlxGa1-xN region in axial (radial) directions. To obtain energy levels and related wavefunctions, self-consistent procedure has been employed to solve Schrodinger-Poisson equations with considering the spontaneous and piezoelectric polarization. Then luminescence spectrum is studied in details to recognize the parameters influent in luminescence. The results show that the amount of doping, size of QDiscs and theirs numbers have remarkable effects on the band to band luminescence emission. Our numerical calculations gives some insights into the luminescence emission of core/shell nanowire and exhibits a useful tool to analyze findings in experiments.

Synthesis and interface structures of zinc sulfide sheathed zinc-cadmium nanowire heterojunctions.

PubMed

Shen, Guozhen; Bando, Yoshio; Gao, Yihua; Golberg, Dmitri

2006-07-27

Zinc sulfide (ZnS) sheathed zinc (Zn)-cadmium (Cd) nanowire heterojunctions have been prepared by thermal evaporating of ZnS and CdS powders in a vertical induction furnace at 1200 degrees C. Studies found that both the Zn and Cd subnanowires, within a single nanoheterojunction, are single-crystallines with the growth directions perpendicular to the [210] plane, whereas the sheathed ZnS is polycrystalline with a thickness of ca. 5 nm. The Zn/Cd interface structure in the ZnS sheathed Zn-Cd nanowire heterojunctions was thoroughly experimentally studied by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and theoretically studied using a near-coincidence site lattice (NCSL) concept. The results show that the Cd and Zn have a crystalline orientation relationship as [0001]Zn//[0001]Cd, (10(-)10)Zn//(10(-)10)Cd, (01(-)10)Zn//(01(-)10)Cd, and ((-)1100)Zn//((-)1100)Cd.

Precise tuning in platinum-nickel/nickel sulfide interface nanowires for synergistic hydrogen evolution catalysis

PubMed Central

Wang, Pengtang; Zhang, Xu; Zhang, Jin; Wan, Sheng; Guo, Shaojun; Lu, Gang; Yao, Jianlin; Huang, Xiaoqing

2017-01-01

Comprising abundant interfaces, multicomponent heterostructures can integrate distinct building blocks into single entities and yield exceptional functionalities enabled by the synergistic components. Here we report an efficient approach to construct one-dimensional metal/sulfide heterostructures by directly sulfuring highly composition-segregated platinum-nickel nanowires. The heterostructures possess a high density of interfaces between platinum-nickel and nickel sulfide components, which cooperate synergistically towards alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction. The platinum-nickel/nickel sulfide heterostructures can deliver a current density of 37.2 mA cm−2 at an overpotential of 70 mV, which is 9.7 times higher than that of commercial Pt/C. The heterostructures also offer enhanced stability revealed by long-term chronopotentiometry measurements. The present work highlights a potentially powerful interface-engineering strategy for designing multicomponent heterostructures with advanced performance in hydrogen evolution reaction and beyond. PMID:28239145

Twin-mediated epitaxial growth of highly lattice-mismatched Cu/Ag core-shell nanowires.

PubMed

Weng, Wei-Lun; Hsu, Chin-Yu; Lee, Jheng-Syun; Fan, Hsin-Hsin; Liao, Chien-Neng

2018-05-31

Lattice-mismatch is an important factor for the heteroepitaxial growth of core-shell nanostructures. A large lattice-mismatch usually leads to a non-coherent interface or a polycrystalline shell layer. In this study, a conformal Ag layer is coated on Cu nanowires with dense nanoscale twin boundaries through a galvanic replacement reaction. Despite a large lattice mismatch between Ag and Cu (∼12.6%), the Ag shell replicates the twinning structure in Cu nanowires and grows epitaxially on the nanotwinned Cu nanowire. A twin-mediated growth mechanism is proposed to explain the epitaxy of high lattice-mismatch bimetallic systems in which the misfit dislocations are accommodated by coherent twin boundaries.

Anomalous high capacitance in a coaxial single nanowire capacitor.

PubMed

Liu, Zheng; Zhan, Yongjie; Shi, Gang; Moldovan, Simona; Gharbi, Mohamed; Song, Li; Ma, Lulu; Gao, Wei; Huang, Jiaqi; Vajtai, Robert; Banhart, Florian; Sharma, Pradeep; Lou, Jun; Ajayan, Pulickel M

2012-06-06

Building entire multiple-component devices on single nanowires is a promising strategy for miniaturizing electronic applications. Here we demonstrate a single nanowire capacitor with a coaxial asymmetric Cu-Cu(2)O-C structure, fabricated using a two-step chemical reaction and vapour deposition method. The capacitance measured from a single nanowire device corresponds to ~140 μF cm(-2), exceeding previous reported values for metal-insulator-metal micro-capacitors and is more than one order of magnitude higher than what is predicted by classical electrostatics. Quantum mechanical calculations indicate that this unusually high capacitance may be attributed to a negative quantum capacitance of the dielectric-metal interface, enhanced significantly at the nanoscale.

Co/Au multisegmented nanowires: a 3D array of magnetostatically coupled nanopillars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bran, C.; Ivanov, Yu P.; Kosel, J.; Chubykalo-Fesenko, O.; Vazquez, M.

2017-03-01

Arrays of multisegmented Co/Au nanowires with designed segment lengths and diameters have been prepared by electrodeposition into aluminum oxide templates. The high quality of the Co/Au interface and the crystallographic structure of Co segments have determined by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Magnetic hysteresis loop measurements show larger coercivity and squareness of multisegmented nanowires as compared to single segment Co nanowires. The complementary micromagnetic simulations are in good agreement with the experimental results, confirming that the magnetic behavior is defined mainly by magnetostatic coupling between different segments. The proposed structure constitutes an innovative route towards a 3D array of synchronized magnetic nano-oscillators with large potential in nanoelectronics.

An analysis of the growth of silver catalyzed In{sub x}Ga{sub 1−x}As nanowires on Si (100) by metal organic chemical vapor deposition

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sarkar, K.; Banerji, P., E-mail: pallab@matsc.iitkgp.ernet.in; Palit, M.

2016-08-28

A model is proposed here to understand the nucleation of III–V semiconductor nanowires (NW). Whereas the classical nucleation theory is not adequately sufficient in explaining the evolution of the shape of the NWs under different chemical environment such as flow rate or partial pressure of the precursors, the effect of adsorption and desorption mediated growth, and diffusion limited growth are taken into account to explain the morphology and the crystal structure of In{sub x}Ga{sub 1−x}As nanowires (NW) on Silicon (100) substrates grown by a metalorganic chemical vapor deposition technique. It is found that the monolayer nucleus that originates at themore » triple phase line covers the entire nucleus-substrate (NS) region at a specific level of supersaturation and there are cases when the monolayer covers a certain fraction of the NS interface. When the monolayer covers the total NS interface, NWs grow with perfect cylindrical morphology and whenever a fraction of the interface is covered by the nucleus, the NWs become curved as observed from high resolution transmission electron microscopy images. The supersaturation, i.e., the chemical potential is found to be governed by the concentration of precursors into the molten silver which in the present case is taken as a catalyst. Our study provides new insights into the growth of ternary NWs which will be helpful in understanding the behavior of growth of different semiconducting NWs.« less

Ultrashort channel silicon nanowire transistors with nickel silicide source/drain contacts.

PubMed

Tang, Wei; Dayeh, Shadi A; Picraux, S Tom; Huang, Jian Yu; Tu, King-Ning

2012-08-08

We demonstrate the shortest transistor channel length (17 nm) fabricated on a vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) grown silicon nanowire (NW) by a controlled reaction with Ni leads on an in situ transmission electron microscope (TEM) heating stage at a moderate temperature of 400 °C. NiSi(2) is the leading phase, and the silicide-silicon interface is an atomically sharp type-A interface. At such channel lengths, high maximum on-currents of 890 (μA/μm) and a maximum transconductance of 430 (μS/μm) were obtained, which pushes forward the performance of bottom-up Si NW Schottky barrier field-effect transistors (SB-FETs). Through accurate control over the silicidation reaction, we provide a systematic study of channel length dependent carrier transport in a large number of SB-FETs with channel lengths in the range of 17 nm to 3.6 μm. Our device results corroborate with our transport simulations and reveal a characteristic type of short channel effects in SB-FETs, both in on- and off-state, which is different from that in conventional MOSFETs, and that limits transport parameter extraction from SB-FETs using conventional field-effect transconductance measurements.

Optoelectronic devices utilizing materials having enhanced electronic transitions

DOEpatents

Black, Marcie R [Newton, MA

2011-02-22

An optoelectronic device that includes a material having enhanced electronic transitions. The electronic transitions are enhanced by mixing electronic states at an interface. The interface may be formed by a nano-well, a nano-dot, or a nano-wire.

Optoelectronic devices utilizing materials having enhanced electronic transitions

DOEpatents

Black, Marcie R.

2013-04-09

An optoelectronic device that includes a material having enhanced electronic transitions. The electronic transitions are enhanced by mixing electronic states at an interface. The interface may be formed by a nano-well, a nano-dot, or a nano-wire.

Hierarchically structured nanowires on and nanosticks in ZnO microtubes

PubMed Central

Rivaldo-Gómez, C. M.; Cabrera-Pasca, G. A.; Zúñiga, A.; Carbonari, A. W.; Souza, J. A.

2015-01-01

We report both coaxial core-shell structured microwires and ZnO microtubes with growth of nanosticks in the inner and nanowires on the outer surface as a novel hierarchical micro/nanoarchitecture. First, a core-shell structure is obtained—the core is formed by metallic Zn and the semiconducting shell is comprised by a thin oxide layer covered with a high density of nanowires. Such Zn/ZnO core-shell array showed magnetoresistance effect. It is suggested that magnetic moments in the nanostructured shell superimposes to the external magnetic field enhancing the MR effect. Second, microtubes decorated with nanowires on the external surface are obtained. In an intermediate stage, a hierarchical morphology comprised of discrete nanosticks in the inner surface of the microtube has been found. Hyperfine interaction measurements disclosed the presence of confined metallic Zn regions at the interface between linked ZnO grains forming a chain and a ZnO thicker layer. Surprisingly, the metallic clusters form highly textured thin flat regions oriented parallel to the surface of the microtube as revealed by the electrical field gradient direction. The driving force to grow the internal nanosticks has been ascribed to stress-induced migration of Zn ions due to compressive stress caused by the presence of these confined regions. PMID:26456527

Double heterojunction nanowire photocatalysts for hydrogen generation.

PubMed

Tongying, P; Vietmeyer, F; Aleksiuk, D; Ferraudi, G J; Krylova, G; Kuno, M

2014-04-21

Charge separation and charge transfer across interfaces are key aspects in the design of efficient photocatalysts for solar energy conversion. In this study, we investigate the hydrogen generating capabilities and underlying photophysics of nanostructured photocatalysts based on CdSe nanowires (NWs). Systems studied include CdSe, CdSe/CdS core/shell nanowires and their Pt nanoparticle-decorated counterparts. Femtosecond transient differential absorption measurements reveal how semiconductor/semiconductor and metal/semiconductor heterojunctions affect the charge separation and hydrogen generation efficiencies of these hybrid photocatalysts. In turn, we unravel the role of surface passivation, charge separation at semiconductor interfaces and charge transfer to metal co-catalysts in determining photocatalytic H2 generation efficiencies. This allows us to rationalize why Pt nanoparticle decorated CdSe/CdS NWs, a double heterojunction system, performs best with H2 generation rates of ∼434.29 ± 27.40 μmol h(-1) g(-1) under UV/Visible irradiation. In particular, we conclude that the CdS shell of this double heterojunction system serves two purposes. The first is to passivate CdSe NW surface defects, leading to long-lived charges at the CdSe/CdS interface capable of carrying out reduction chemistries. Upon photoexcitation, we also find that CdS selectively injects charges into Pt NPs, enabling simultaneous reduction chemistries at the Pt NP/solvent interface. Pt nanoparticle decorated CdSe/CdS NWs thus enable reduction chemistries at not one, but rather two interfaces, taking advantage of each junction's optimal catalytic activities.

Self-assembly of an electronically conductive network through microporous scaffolds.

PubMed

Sebastian, H Bri; Bryant, Steven L

2017-06-15

Electron transfer spanning significant distances through a microporous structure was established via the self-assembly of an electronically conductive iridium oxide nanowire matrix enveloping the pore walls. Microporous formations were simulated using two scaffold materials of varying physical and chemical properties; paraffin wax beads, and agar gel. Following infiltration into the micropores, iridium nanoparticles self-assembled at the pore wall/ethanol interface. Subsequently, cyclic voltammetry was employed to electrochemically crosslink the metal, erecting an interconnected, and electronically conductive metal oxide nanowire matrix. Electrochemical and spectral characterization techniques confirmed the formation of oxide nanowire matrices encompassing lengths of at least 1.6mm, 400× distances previously achieved using iridium nanoparticles. Nanowire matrices were engaged as biofuel cell anodes, where electrons were donated to the nanowires by a glucose oxidizing enzyme. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ultra-thin g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} nanosheets wrapped silicon nanowire array for improved chemical stability and enhanced photoresponse

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Beibei; Yu, Hongtao; Quan, Xie, E-mail: quanxie@dlut.edu.cn

2014-11-15

Highlights: • g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4}, as an oxygen free and metal free protective material for Si, was proposed. • g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} nanosheets wrapped Si nanowire array was synthesized. • SiNW/g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} exhibited enhancement of photoelectrochemical stability and photocurrent. - Abstract: In order to inhibit the oxidation of Si materials in aqueous solution, Si nanowire array was wrapped by ultra-thin g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} nanosheets via an electrophoresis process. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy images showed that g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} nanosheets were evenly distributed on the surface of Si nanowire array. X-ray diffraction patterns indicated that Si nanowiremore » array/g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} nanosheets were composed of Si (4 0 0 crystal plane) and g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} (0 0 2 and 1 0 0 crystal planes). The cyclic voltammetry curves revealed that the corrosion of Si nanowire array was restrained under the protection of g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} nanosheets. Furthermore, the photocurrent density of Si nanowire array/g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} nanosheets increased by nearly 3 times compared to that of bare Si nanowire array due to the effective charge separation caused by the built-in electric field at the interface. This work will facilitate the applications of Si materials in aqueous solution, such as solar energy harvest and photocatalytic pollution control.« less

Flame and solution syntheses of high-dimensional homo- and hetero-structured nanomaterials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Zhizhong

Tungsten-oxide and molybdenum-oxide nanostructures are fabricated directly from the surfaces of metal substrates using counter-flow diffusion-flame synthesis method, which allows for correlation of morphologies with local conditions. Computational simulations aid in tailoring the flame structure with respect to chemical species and temperature. Furthermore, methane flames are compared with hydrogen flames, which only have H2O (and no CO2) as product species. The temperature profiles of the methane and hydrogen flames are strategically matched in order to compare the effect of chemical species produced by the flame which serve as reactants for nanostructure growth. Single-crystalline, well-vertically-aligned, and dense WO2.9 nanowires (diameters of 20-50 nm, lengths of >10 microm) are obtained at a gas-phase temperature of 1720 K, where the CO2 route is presumed to seed the growth of nanowires at the nucleation stage, with subsequent vapor-solid growth. Similarly, single-crystalline, vertically-aligned, and dense MoO 2 nanoplates (thicknesses of 60-80 nm, widths of 200-450 nm, lengths of 1-2 microm) are obtained at 1720 K. Nanoheterostructures are fabricated by decorating/coating the above flame-synthesized tungsten-oxide nanowires with other materials using an aqueous solution synthesis method. With WO 2.9 nanowires serving as the scaffold, sequential growth of hexagonal ZnO nanoplates, Zn2SnO4 nanocubes, and SnO2 nanoparticles are attained for different Zn2+:Sn2+ concentration ratios. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) of the interfaces at the nanoheterojunctions show atomically abrupt interfaces for ZnO/WO2.9 and Zn2SnO4/WO2.9, despite lattice mismatches. Separately, co-axial nanoheterostructures are fabricated using ionic-liquid solutions, where single-crystal nanoscale Al layer are electrodeposited on the surfaces of the above flame-synthesized WO2.9 nanowires. These tungsten-oxide/aluminum coaxial nanowire arrays constitute thermite nanocomposites with high reactivity. These geometries not only present an avenue to tailor heat-release characteristics due to anisotropic arrangement of fuel and oxidizer, but also possibly eliminate or at least minimize the presence of Al2O3 passivation films between the aluminum and metal oxide.

Semiconductor nanowire devices: Novel morphologies and applications to electrogenic biological systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Timko, Brian Paul

The interface between nanoscale semiconductors and biological systems represents a powerful means for molecular-scale, two-way communication between these two diverse yet complementary systems. In this thesis, I present a general methodology for the synthesis of semiconductor nanowires with rationally-defined material composition and geometry. Specifically, I demonstrate that this technique can be used to fabricate silicon nanowires, hollow nanostructures (e.g. nanotubes, nanocones and branched tubular networks), and Ge/Si heterostructures that exhibit 1D hole gasses. Using bottom-up assembly techniques, nanostructures are subsequently built into arrays containing up to tens of nanowire field-effect transistors (NW-FETs) that exhibit exquisite sensitivity to local charges. Significantly, this robust assembly technique enables integration of disparate materials (e.g. n- and p-type silicon nanowires) on virtually any type of substrate. These arrays are particularly useful for integration with biological systems. I will demonstrate that at the single-cell level, silicon nanowire device arrays can be integrated with mammalian neurons. Discrete hybrid structures enable neuronal stimulation and recording at the axon, dendrite, or soma with high sensitivity and spatial resolution, while aligned arrays containing up to 50 devices can be used to measure the speed and temporal evolution of signals or to interact with a single cell as multiple inputs and outputs. I analyze the shape and magnitude of reported signals, and place within the context of previously reported results. Hybrid interfaces can also be extended to entire organs such as embryonic chicken hearts. NW-FET signals are synchronized with the beating heart, and the signal amplitude is directly related to the device sensitivity. Multiplexed measurements made from NW-FET arrays further show that signal propagation across the myocardium can be mapped, with a potential resolution significantly better than microelectrode techniques. I exploit the unique capability of the bottom-up approach to fabricate NW-FET arrays on flexible and transparent plastic substrates, and demonstrate that these novel device arrays enable signal recording in a number of conformations as well as registration of devices to the heart surface. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that nanowire device arrays are a robust platform for studying electrically-active systems at the single-cell or whole-tissue level, and could enable fundamental studies of cellular-level biophysics, real-time drug assays, and novel implants.

Visible electroluminescence from a ZnO nanowires/p-GaN heterojunction light emitting diode.

PubMed

Baratto, C; Kumar, R; Comini, E; Faglia, G; Sberveglieri, G

2015-07-27

In the current paper we apply catalyst assisted vapour phase growth technique to grow ZnO nanowires (ZnO nws) on p-GaN thin film obtaining EL emission in reverse bias regime. ZnO based LED represents a promising alternative to III-nitride LEDs, as in free devices: the potential is in near-UV emission and visible emission. For ZnO, the use of nanowires ensures good crystallinity of the ZnO, and improved light extraction from the interface when the nanowires are vertically aligned. We prepared ZnO nanowires in a tubular furnace on GaN templates and characterized the p-n ZnO nws/GaN heterojunction for LED applications. SEM microscopy was used to study the growth of nanowires and device preparation. Photoluminescence (PL) and Electroluminescence (EL) spectroscopies were used to characterize the heterojunction, showing that good quality of PL emission is observed from nanowires and visible emission from the junction can be obtained from the region near ZnO contact, starting from onset bias of 6V.

Epitaxial insertion of gold silicide nanodisks during the growth of silicon nanowires.

PubMed

Um, Han-Don; Jee, Sang-Won; Park, Kwang-Tae; Jung, Jin-Young; Guo, Zhongyi; Lee, Jung-Ho

2011-07-01

Nanodisk-shaped, single-crystal gold silicide heterojunctions were inserted into silicon nanowires during vapor-liquid-solid growth using Au as a catalyst within a specific range of chlorine-to-hydrogen atomic ratio. The mechanism of nanodisk formation has been investigated by changing the source gas ratio of SiCl4 to H2. We report that an over-supply of silicon into the Au-Si liquid alloy leads to highly supersaturated solution and enhances the precipitation of Au in the silicon nanowires due to the formation of unstable phases within the liquid alloy. It is shown that the gold precipitates embedded in the silicon nanowires consisted of a metastable gold silicide. Interestingly, faceting of gold silicide was observed at the Au/Si interfaces, and silicon nanowires were epitaxially grown on the top of the nanodisk by vapor-liquid-solid growth. High resolution transmission electron microscopy confirmed that gold silicide nanodisks are epitaxially connected to the silicon nanowires in the direction of growth direction. These gold silicide nanodisks would be useful as nanosized electrical junctions for future applications in nanowire interconnections.

Structure, growth kinetics, and ledge flow during vapor-solid-solid growth of copper-catalyzed silicon nanowires.

PubMed

Wen, C-Y; Reuter, M C; Tersoff, J; Stach, E A; Ross, F M

2010-02-10

We use real-time observations of the growth of copper-catalyzed silicon nanowires to determine the nanowire growth mechanism directly and to quantify the growth kinetics of individual wires. Nanowires were grown in a transmission electron microscope using chemical vapor deposition on a copper-coated Si substrate. We show that the initial reaction is the formation of a silicide, eta'-Cu(3)Si, and that this solid silicide remains on the wire tips during growth so that growth is by the vapor-solid-solid mechanism. Individual wire directions and growth rates are related to the details of orientation relation and catalyst shape, leading to a rich morphology compared to vapor-liquid-solid grown nanowires. Furthermore, growth occurs by ledge propagation at the silicide/silicon interface, and the ledge propagation kinetics suggest that the solubility of precursor atoms in the catalyst is small, which is relevant to the fabrication of abrupt heterojunctions in nanowires.

Ballistic superconductivity in semiconductor nanowires

PubMed Central

Zhang, Hao; Gül, Önder; Conesa-Boj, Sonia; Nowak, Michał P.; Wimmer, Michael; Zuo, Kun; Mourik, Vincent; de Vries, Folkert K.; van Veen, Jasper; de Moor, Michiel W. A.; Bommer, Jouri D. S.; van Woerkom, David J.; Car, Diana; Plissard, Sébastien R; Bakkers, Erik P.A.M.; Quintero-Pérez, Marina; Cassidy, Maja C.; Koelling, Sebastian; Goswami, Srijit; Watanabe, Kenji; Taniguchi, Takashi; Kouwenhoven, Leo P.

2017-01-01

Semiconductor nanowires have opened new research avenues in quantum transport owing to their confined geometry and electrostatic tunability. They have offered an exceptional testbed for superconductivity, leading to the realization of hybrid systems combining the macroscopic quantum properties of superconductors with the possibility to control charges down to a single electron. These advances brought semiconductor nanowires to the forefront of efforts to realize topological superconductivity and Majorana modes. A prime challenge to benefit from the topological properties of Majoranas is to reduce the disorder in hybrid nanowire devices. Here we show ballistic superconductivity in InSb semiconductor nanowires. Our structural and chemical analyses demonstrate a high-quality interface between the nanowire and a NbTiN superconductor that enables ballistic transport. This is manifested by a quantized conductance for normal carriers, a strongly enhanced conductance for Andreev-reflecting carriers, and an induced hard gap with a significantly reduced density of states. These results pave the way for disorder-free Majorana devices. PMID:28681843

Ultraviolet Electroluminescence from ZnS@ZnO Core-Shell Nanowires/p-GaN Introduced by Exciton Localization.

PubMed

Fang, Xuan; Wei, Zhipeng; Yang, Yahui; Chen, Rui; Li, Yongfeng; Tang, Jilong; Fang, Dan; Jia, Huimin; Wang, Dengkui; Fan, Jie; Ma, Xiaohui; Yao, Bin; Wang, Xiaohua

2016-01-27

We investigate the electroluminescence (EL) from light emitting diodes (LEDs) of ZnO nanowires/p-GaN structure and ZnS@ZnO core-shell nanowires/p-GaN structure. With the increase of forward bias, the emission peak of ZnO nanowires/p-GaN structure heterojunction shows a blue-shift, while the ZnS@ZnO core-shell nanowires/p-GaN structure demonstrates a changing EL emission; the ultraviolet (UV) emission at 378 nm can be observed. This discrepancy is related to the localized states introduced by ZnS particles, which results in a different carrier recombination process near the interfaces of the heterojunction. The localized states capture the carriers in ZnO nanowires and convert them to localized excitons under high forward bias. A strong UV emission due to localized excitons can be observed. Our results indicated that utilizing localized excitons should be a new route toward ZnO-based ultraviolet LEDs with high efficiency.

Effect of Elastic Strain Fluctuation on Atomic Layer Growth of Epitaxial Silicide in Si Nanowires by Point Contact Reactions.

PubMed

Chou, Yi-Chia; Tang, Wei; Chiou, Chien-Jyun; Chen, Kai; Minor, Andrew M; Tu, K N

2015-06-10

Effects of strain impact a range of applications involving mobility change in field-effect-transistors. We report the effect of strain fluctuation on epitaxial growth of NiSi2 in a Si nanowire via point contact and atomic layer reactions, and we discuss the thermodynamic, kinetic, and mechanical implications. The generation and relaxation of strain shown by in situ TEM is periodic and in synchronization with the atomic layer reaction. The Si lattice at the epitaxial interface is under tensile strain, which enables a high solubility of supersaturated interstitial Ni atoms for homogeneous nucleation of an epitaxial atomic layer of the disilicide phase. The tensile strain is reduced locally during the incubation period of nucleation by the dissolution of supersaturated Ni atoms in the Si lattice but the strained-Si state returns once the atomic layer epitaxial growth of NiSi2 occurs by consuming the supersaturated Ni.

Hydrothermal Growth of ZnO Nanowires on UV-Nanoimprinted Polymer Structures.

PubMed

Park, Sooyeon; Moore, Sean A; Lee, Jaejong; Song, In-Hyouk; Farshchian, Bahador; Kim, Namwon

2018-05-01

Integration of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires on miniaturized polymer structures can broaden its application in multi-functional polymer devices by taking advantages of unique physical properties of ZnO nanowires and recent development of polymer microstructures in analytical systems. In this paper, we demonstrate the hydrothermal growth of ZnO nanowires on polymer microstructures fabricated by UV nanoimprinting lithography (NIL) using a polyurethane acrylate (PUA). Since PUA is a siloxane-urethane-acrylate compound containing the alpha-hydroxyl ketone, UV-cured PUA include carboxyl groups, which inhibit and suppress the nucleation and growth of ZnO nanowires on polymer structures. The presence of carboxyl groups in UV-cured PUA was substantiated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and a Ag thin film was deposited on the nanoimprinted polymer structures to limit their inhibitive influence on the growth of ZnO nanowires. Furthermore, the naturally oxidized Ag layer (Ag2O) reduced crystalline lattice mismatches at the interface between ZnO-Ag during the seed annealing process. The ZnO nanowires grown on the Ag-deposited PUA microstructures were found to have comparable morphological characteristics with ZnO nanowires grown on a Si wafer.

Nanowire-based thermoelectrics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ali, Azhar; Chen, Yixi; Vasiraju, Venkata; Vaddiraju, Sreeram

2017-07-01

Research on thermoelectrics has seen a huge resurgence since the early 1990s. The ability of tuning a material’s electrical and thermal transport behavior upon nanostructuring has led to this revival. Nevertheless, thermoelectric performances of nanowires and related materials lag far behind those achieved with thin-film superlattices and quantum dot-based materials. This is despite the fact that nanowires offer many distinct advantages in enhancing the thermoelectric performances of materials. The simplicity of the strategy is the first and foremost advantage. For example, control of the nanowire diameters and their surface roughnesses will aid in enhancing their thermoelectric performances. Another major advantage is the possibility of obtaining high thermoelectric performances using simpler nanowire chemistries (e.g., elemental and binary compound semiconductors), paving the way for the fabrication of thermoelectric modules inexpensively from non-toxic elements. In this context, the topical review provides an overview of the current state of nanowire-based thermoelectrics. It concludes with a discussion of the future vision of nanowire-based thermoelectrics, including the need for developing strategies aimed at the mass production of nanowires and their interface-engineered assembly into devices. This eliminates the need for trial-and-error strategies and complex chemistries for enhancing the thermoelectric performances of materials.

Veritable electronic characteristics in ZnO nanowire circuits uncovered by the four-terminal method at a low temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xin; Zhang, Qi

2017-04-01

Understanding the natural electrical properties in semiconductor channels and the carrier transport across the metal-semiconductor contact is essential to improve the performance of nanowire devices. This work presents the true electronic characteristics of ZnO nanowire devices measured by a four-electrode method at a low-temperature environment. The temperature rise leads to the decrease in near-band-gap emission, which is attributed to two non-radiative recombination processes. For ZnO circuits, thermionic emission carrier transport mechanism plays a dominant role at Ti-Au/ZnO interface and the transport mechanism in ZnO nanowires is governed by two competitive thermal activation conduction processes: optical or acoustic phonons assisting hopping.

Understanding the true shape of Au-catalyzed GaAs nanowires.

PubMed

Jiang, Nian; Wong-Leung, Jennifer; Joyce, Hannah J; Gao, Qiang; Tan, Hark Hoe; Jagadish, Chennupati

2014-10-08

With increasing interest in nanowire-based devices, a thorough understanding of the nanowire shape is required to gain tight control of the quality of nanowire heterostructures and improve the performance of related devices. We present a systematic study of the sidewalls of Au-catalyzed GaAs nanowires by investigating the faceting process from the beginning with vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) nucleation, followed by the simultaneous radial growth on the sidewalls, and to the end with sidewall transformation during annealing. The VLS nucleation interface of our GaAs nanowires is revealed by examining cross sections of the nanowire, where the nanowire exhibits a Reuleaux triangular shape with three curved surfaces along {112}A. These curved surfaces are not thermodynamically stable and adopt {112}A facets during radial growth. We observe clear differences in radial growth rate between the ⟨112⟩A and ⟨112⟩B directions with {112}B facets forming due to the slower radial growth rate along ⟨112⟩B directions. These sidewalls transform to {110} facets after high temperature (>500 °C) annealing. A nucleation model is proposed to explain the origin of the Reuleaux triangular shape of the nanowires, and the sidewall evolution is explained by surface kinetic and thermodynamic limitations.

Self-generated Local Heating Induced Nanojoining for Room Temperature Pressureless Flexible Electronic Packaging

PubMed Central

Peng, Peng; Hu, Anming; Gerlich, Adrian P.; Liu, Yangai; Zhou, Y. Norman

2015-01-01

Metallic bonding at an interface is determined by the application of heat and/or pressure. The means by which these are applied are the most critical for joining nanoscale structures. The present study considers the feasibility of room-temperature pressureless joining of copper wires using water-based silver nanowire paste. A novel mechanism of self-generated local heating within the silver nanowire paste and copper substrate system promotes the joining of silver-to-silver and silver-to-copper without any external energy input. The localized heat energy was delivered in-situ to the interfaces to promote atomic diffusion and metallic bond formation with the bulk component temperature stays near room-temperature. This local heating effect has been detected experimentally and confirmed by calculation. The joints formed at room-temperature without pressure achieve a tensile strength of 5.7 MPa and exhibit ultra-low resistivity in the range of 101.3 nOhm·m. The good conductivity of the joint is attributed to the removal of organic compounds in the paste and metallic bonding of silver-to-copper and silver-to-silver. The water-based silver nanowire paste filler material is successfully applied to various flexible substrates for room temperature bonding. The use of chemically generated local heating may become a potential method for energy in-situ delivery at micro/nanoscale. PMID:25788019

Electron transport in high aspect ratio semiconductor nanowires and metal-semiconductor interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Zhuting

We are facing variability problems for modern semiconductor transistors due to the fact that the performances of nominally identical devices in the scale of 10 100 nm could be dramatically different attributed to the small manufacturing variations. Different doping strategies give statistical variations in the number of dopant atom density ND in the channel. The material size gives variations in wire diameter dW. And the immediate environment of the material leads to an additional level of variability. E.g. vacuum-semiconductor interface causes variations in surface state density Ds, metal-semiconductor interface causes variations in Schottky barrier and dielectric semiconductor interface induces dielectric confinement at small scales. To approach these variability problems, I choose Si-doped GaAs nanowires as an example. I investigate transport in Si-doped GaAs nanowire (NW) samples contacted by lithographically patterned Gold-Titanium films as function of temperature T. I find a drastically different temperature dependence between the wire resistance RW, which is relatively weak, and the zero bias resistance RC, which is strong. I show that the data are consistent with a model based on a sharp donor energy level slightly above the bottom of the semiconductor conduction band and develop a simple method for using transport measurements for estimates of the doping density after nanowire growth. I discuss the predictions of effective free carrier density n eff as function of the surface state density Ds and wire size dW. I also describe a correction to the widely used model of Schottky contacts that improves thermodynamic consistency of the Schottky tunnel barrier profile and show that the original theory may underestimate the barrier conductance under certain conditions. I also provide analytical calculations for shallow silicon dopant energy in GaAs crystals, and find the presence of dielectrics (dielectric screening) and free carriers (Coulomb screening) cause a reduction of ionization energy and shift the donor energy level ED upward, accompanying conduction band EC shift downward due to band gap narrowing for doped semiconductor material. The theoretical results are in a reasonable agreement with previous experimental data. I also find that when the material reduces to nanoscale, dielectric confinement and surface depletion compete with both Coulomb screening and dielectric screening that shift the donor level ED down towards the band gap. The calculation should be appropriate for all types of semiconductors and dopant species.

Significant thermal conductivity reduction of silicon nanowire forests through discrete surface doping of germanium

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pan, Ying; Hong, Guo; Raja, Shyamprasad N.

2015-03-02

Silicon nanowires (SiNWs) are promising materials for the realization of highly-efficient and cost effective thermoelectric devices. Reduction of the thermal conductivity of such materials is a necessary and viable pathway to achieve sufficiently high thermoelectric efficiencies, which are inversely proportional to the thermal conductivity. In this article, vertically aligned forests of SiNW and germanium (Ge)-doped SiNW with diameters around 100 nm have been fabricated, and their thermal conductivity has been measured. The results show that discrete surface doping of Ge on SiNW arrays can lead to 23% reduction in thermal conductivity at room temperature compared to uncoated SiNWs. Such reduction canmore » be further enhanced to 44% following a thermal annealing step. By analyzing the binding energy changes of Ge-3d and Si-2p using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, we demonstrate that surface doped Ge interacts strongly with Si, enhancing phonon scattering at the Si-Ge interface as has also been shown in non-equilibrium molecular dynamics studies of single nanowires. Overall, our results suggest a viable pathway to improve the energy conversion efficiency of nanowire-forest thermoelectric nanomaterials.« less

Heteroepitaxial Writing of Silicon-on-Sapphire Nanowires.

PubMed

Xu, Mingkun; Xue, Zhaoguo; Wang, Jimmy; Zhao, Yaolong; Duan, Yao; Zhu, Guangyao; Yu, Linwei; Xu, Jun; Wang, Junzhuan; Shi, Yi; Chen, Kunji; Roca I Cabarrocas, Pere

2016-12-14

The heteroepitaxial growth of crystal silicon thin films on sapphire, usually referred to as SoS, has been a key technology for high-speed mixed-signal integrated circuits and processors. Here, we report a novel nanoscale SoS heteroepitaxial growth that resembles the in-plane writing of self-aligned silicon nanowires (SiNWs) on R-plane sapphire. During a low-temperature growth at <350 °C, compared to that required for conventional SoS fabrication at >900 °C, the bottom heterointerface cultivates crystalline Si pyramid seeds within the catalyst droplet, while the vertical SiNW/catalyst interface subsequently threads the seeds into continuous nanowires, producing self-oriented in-plane SiNWs that follow a set of crystallographic directions of the sapphire substrate. Despite the low-temperature fabrication process, the field effect transistors built on the SoS-SiNWs demonstrate a high on/off ratio of >5 × 10 4 and a peak hole mobility of >50 cm 2 /V·s. These results indicate the novel potential of deploying in-plane SoS nanowire channels in places that require high-performance nanoelectronics and optoelectronics with a drastically reduced thermal budget and a simplified manufacturing procedure.

Strong Schottky barrier reduction at Au-catalyst/GaAs-nanowire interfaces by electric dipole formation and Fermi-level unpinning.

PubMed

Suyatin, Dmitry B; Jain, Vishal; Nebol'sin, Valery A; Trägårdh, Johanna; Messing, Maria E; Wagner, Jakob B; Persson, Olof; Timm, Rainer; Mikkelsen, Anders; Maximov, Ivan; Samuelson, Lars; Pettersson, Håkan

2014-01-01

Nanoscale contacts between metals and semiconductors are critical for further downscaling of electronic and optoelectronic devices. However, realizing nanocontacts poses significant challenges since conventional approaches to achieve ohmic contacts through Schottky barrier suppression are often inadequate. Here we report the realization and characterization of low n-type Schottky barriers (~0.35 eV) formed at epitaxial contacts between Au-In alloy catalytic particles and GaAs-nanowires. In comparison to previous studies, our detailed characterization, employing selective electrical contacts defined by high-precision electron beam lithography, reveals the barrier to occur directly and solely at the abrupt interface between the catalyst and nanowire. We attribute this lowest-to-date-reported Schottky barrier to a reduced density of pinning states (~10(17) m(-2)) and the formation of an electric dipole layer at the epitaxial contacts. The insight into the physical mechanisms behind the observed low-energy Schottky barrier may guide future efforts to engineer abrupt nanoscale electrical contacts with tailored electrical properties.

Constructing hierarchical interfaces: TiO 2-supported PtFe-FeO x nanowires for room temperature CO oxidation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhu, Huiyuan; Wu, Zili; Dong, Su

2015-08-05

This is a report of a facile approach to constructing catalytic active hierarchical interfaces in one-dimensional (1D) nanostructure, exemplified by the synthesis of TiO 2-supported PtFe–FeO x nanowires (NWs). The hierarchical interface, constituting atomic level interactions between PtFe and FeO x within each NW and the interactions between NWs and support (TiO 2), enables CO oxidation with 100% conversion at room temperature. We identify the role of the two interfaces by probing the CO oxidation reaction with isotopic labeling experiments. Both the oxygen atoms (Os) in FeO x and TiO 2 participate in the initial CO oxidation, facilitating the reactionmore » through a redox pathway. Moreover, the intact 1D structure leads to the high stability of the catalyst. After 30 h in the reaction stream, the PtFe–FeO x/TiO2 catalyst exhibits no activity decay. These results provide a general approach and new insights into the construction of hierarchical interfaces for advanced catalysis.« less

Structural and electronic properties of CdS/ZnS core/shell nanowires: A first-principles study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Hyo Seok; Kim, Yong-Hoon

2015-03-01

Carrying out density functional theory (DFT) calculation, we studied the relative effects of quantum confinement and strain on the electronic structures of II-IV semiconductor compounds with a large lattice-mismatch, CdS and ZnS, in the core/shell nanowire geometry. We considered different core radii and shell thickness of the CdS/ZnS core/shell nanowire, different surface facets, and various defects in the core/shell interface and surface regions. To properly describe the band level alignment at the core/shell boundary, we adopted the self-interaction correction (SIC)-DFT scheme. Implications of our findings in the context of device applications will be also discussed. This work was supported by the Basic Science Research Grant (No. 2012R1A1A2044793), Global Frontier Program (No. 2013-073298), and Nano-Material Technology Development Program (2012M3A7B4049888) of the National Research Foundation funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology of Korea. Corresponding author

A ZnO nanowire-based photo-inverter with pulse-induced fast recovery.

PubMed

Raza, Syed Raza Ali; Lee, Young Tack; Hosseini Shokouh, Seyed Hossein; Ha, Ryong; Choi, Heon-Jin; Im, Seongil

2013-11-21

We demonstrate a fast response photo-inverter comprised of one transparent gated ZnO nanowire field-effect transistor (FET) and one opaque FET respectively as the driver and load. Under ultraviolet (UV) light the transfer curve of the transparent gate FET shifts to the negative side and so does the voltage transfer curve (VTC) of the inverter. After termination of UV exposure the recovery of photo-induced current takes a long time in general. This persistent photoconductivity (PPC) is due to hole trapping on the surface of ZnO NWs. Here, we used a positive voltage short pulse after UV exposure, for the first time resolving the PPC issue in nanowire-based photo-detectors by accumulating electrons at the ZnO/dielectric interface. We found that a pulse duration as small as 200 ns was sufficient to reach a full recovery to the dark state from the UV induced state, realizing a fast UV detector with a voltage output.

High capacitance density MIS capacitor using Si nanowires by MACE and ALD alumina dielectric

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Leontis, I.; Nassiopoulou, A. G., E-mail: A.Nassiopoulou@inn.demokritos.gr; Botzakaki, M. A.

2016-06-28

High capacitance density three-dimensional (3D) metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) capacitors using Si nanowires (SiNWs) by metal-assisted chemical etching and atomic-layer-deposited alumina dielectric film were fabricated and electrically characterized. A chemical treatment was used to remove structural defects from the nanowire surface, in order to reduce the density of interface traps at the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/SiNW interface. SiNWs with two different lengths, namely, 1.3 μm and 2.4 μm, were studied. A four-fold capacitance density increase compared to a planar reference capacitor was achieved with the 1.3 μm SiNWs. In the case of the 2.4 μm SiNWs this increase was ×7, reaching a value of 4.1 μF/cm{sup 2}. Capacitance-voltagemore » (C-V) measurements revealed that, following a two-cycle chemical treatment, frequency dispersion at accumulation regime and flat-band voltage shift disappeared in the case of the 1.3 μm SiNWs, which is indicative of effective removal of structural defects at the SiNW surface. In the case of the 2.4 μm SiNWs, frequency dispersion at accumulation persisted even after the two-step chemical treatment. This is attributed to a porous Si layer at the SiNW tops, which is not effectively removed by the chemical treatment. The electrical losses of MIS capacitors in both cases of SiNW lengths were studied and will be discussed.« less

Waveguide modes in sparse III-V nanowire arrays for ultra-broadband tunable perfect absorbers (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fountaine, Katherine T.; Cheng, Wen-Hui; Bukowsky, Colton R.; Atwater, Harry A.

2016-09-01

Design of perfect absorbers and emitters has been a primary focus of the metamaterials community owing to their potential to enhance device efficiency and sensitivity in energy harvesting and sensing applications, specifically photovoltaics, thermal emission control, bolometers and photodetectors, to name a few. While reports of perfect absorbers/emitters for a specific frequency, wavevector, and polarization are ubiquitous, a broadband and polarization- and angle-insensitive perfect absorber remains a particular challenge. In this work, we report on directed optical design and fabrication of sparse III-V nanowire arrays as broadband, polarization- and angle-insensitive perfect absorbers and emitters. Specifically, we target response in the UV-Vis-NIR and NIR-SWIR-MWIR via two material systems, InP (Eg=1.34 eV) and InSb (Eg=0.17 eV), respectively. Herein, we present results on InP and InSb nanowire array broadband absorbers, supported by experiment, simulation and analytic theory. Electromagnetic simulations indicate that, with directed optical design, tapered nanowire arrays and multi-radii nanowire arrays with 5% fill fraction can achieve greater than 95% broadband absorption (λInP=400-900nm, λInSb=1.5-5.5µm), due to efficient excitation and interband transition-mediated attenuation of the HE11 waveguide mode. Experimentally-fabricated InP nanowire arrays embedded in PDMS achieved broadband, polarization- and angle-insensitive 90-95% absorption, limited primarily by reflection off the PDMS interface. Addition of a thin, planar VO2 layer above a sparse InSb nanowire array enables active thermal tunability in the infrared, effecting a 50% modulation, from 87% (insulating VO2) to 43% (metallic VO2) average absorption. These concepts and results along with photovoltaic and other optical and optoelectronic device applications will be discussed.

Fabrication of a P3HT-ZnO Nanowires Gas Sensor Detecting Ammonia Gas

PubMed Central

Kuo, Chin-Guo; Chen, Jung-Hsuan; Chao, Yi-Chieh; Chen, Po-Lin

2017-01-01

In this study, an organic-inorganic semiconductor gas sensor was fabricated to detect ammonia gas. An inorganic semiconductor was a zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowire array produced by atomic layer deposition (ALD) while an organic material was a p-type semiconductor, poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT). P3HT was suitable for the gas sensing application due to its high hole mobility, good stability, and good electrical conductivity. In this work, P3HT was coated on the zinc oxide nanowires by the spin coating to form an organic-inorganic heterogeneous interface of the gas sensor for detecting ammonia gas. The thicknesses of the P3HT were around 462 nm, 397 nm, and 277 nm when the speeds of the spin coating were 4000 rpm, 5000 rpm, and 6000 rpm, respectively. The electrical properties and sensing characteristics of the gas sensing device at room temperature were evaluated by Hall effect measurement and the sensitivity of detecting ammonia gas. The results of Hall effect measurement for the P3HT-ZnO nanowires semiconductor with 462 nm P3HT film showed that the carrier concentration and the mobility were 2.7 × 1019 cm−3 and 24.7 cm2∙V−1∙s−1 respectively. The gas sensing device prepared by the P3HT-ZnO nanowires semiconductor had better sensitivity than the device composed of the ZnO film and P3HT film. Additionally, this gas sensing device could reach a maximum sensitivity around 11.58 per ppm. PMID:29295573

Fabrication of a P3HT-ZnO Nanowires Gas Sensor Detecting Ammonia Gas.

PubMed

Kuo, Chin-Guo; Chen, Jung-Hsuan; Chao, Yi-Chieh; Chen, Po-Lin

2017-12-25

In this study, an organic-inorganic semiconductor gas sensor was fabricated to detect ammonia gas. An inorganic semiconductor was a zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowire array produced by atomic layer deposition (ALD) while an organic material was a p-type semiconductor, poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT). P3HT was suitable for the gas sensing application due to its high hole mobility, good stability, and good electrical conductivity. In this work, P3HT was coated on the zinc oxide nanowires by the spin coating to form an organic-inorganic heterogeneous interface of the gas sensor for detecting ammonia gas. The thicknesses of the P3HT were around 462 nm, 397 nm, and 277 nm when the speeds of the spin coating were 4000 rpm, 5000 rpm, and 6000 rpm, respectively. The electrical properties and sensing characteristics of the gas sensing device at room temperature were evaluated by Hall effect measurement and the sensitivity of detecting ammonia gas. The results of Hall effect measurement for the P3HT-ZnO nanowires semiconductor with 462 nm P3HT film showed that the carrier concentration and the mobility were 2.7 × 10 19 cm -3 and 24.7 cm²∙V -1 ∙s -1 respectively. The gas sensing device prepared by the P3HT-ZnO nanowires semiconductor had better sensitivity than the device composed of the ZnO film and P3HT film. Additionally, this gas sensing device could reach a maximum sensitivity around 11.58 per ppm.

Sustained Resistive Switching in a Single Cu:7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane Nanowire: A Promising Material for Resistive Random Access Memory

PubMed Central

Basori, Rabaya; Kumar, Manoranjan; Raychaudhuri, Arup K.

2016-01-01

We report a new type of sustained and reversible unipolar resistive switching in a nanowire device made from a single strand of Cu:7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (Cu:TCNQ) nanowire (diameter <100 nm) that shows high ON/OFF ratio (~103), low threshold voltage of switching (~3.5 V) and large cycling endurance (>103). This indicates a promising material for high density resistive random access memory (ReRAM) device integration. Switching is observed in Cu:TCNQ single nanowire devices with two different electrode configuration: symmetric (C-Pt/Cu:TCNQ/C-Pt) and asymmetric (Cu/Cu:TCNQ/C-Pt), where contacts connecting the nanowire play an important role. This report also developed a method of separating out the electrode and material contributions in switching using metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) device model along with a direct 4-probe resistivity measurement of the nanowire in the OFF as well as ON state. The device model was followed by a phenomenological model of current transport through the nanowire device which shows that lowering of potential barrier at the contacts likely occur due to formation of Cu filaments in the interface between nanowire and contact electrodes. We obtain quantitative agreement of numerically analyzed results with the experimental switching data. PMID:27245099

Electrical Spin Injection and Detection in Silicon Nanowires with Axial Doping Gradient.

PubMed

Kountouriotis, Konstantinos; Barreda, Jorge L; Keiper, Timothy D; Zhang, Mei; Xiong, Peng

2018-06-19

The interest in spin transport in nanoscopic semiconductor channels is driven by both the inevitable miniaturization of spintronics devices toward nanoscale and the rich spin-dependent physics the quantum confinement engenders. For such studies, the all-important issue of the ferromagnet/semiconductor (FM/SC) interface becomes even more critical at nanoscale. Here we elucidate the effects of the FM/SC interface on electrical spin injection and detection at nanoscale dimensions, utilizing a unique type of Si nanowires (NWs) with an inherent axial doping gradient. Two-terminal and nonlocal four-terminal lateral spin-valve measurements were performed using different combinations from a series of FM contacts positioned along the same NW. The data are analyzed with a general model of spin accumulation in a normal channel under electrical spin injection from a FM, which reveals a distinct correlation of decreasing spin-valve signal with increasing injector junction resistance. The observation is attributed to the diminishing contribution of the d-electrons in the FM to the injected current spin polarization with increasing Schottky barrier width. The results demonstrate that there is a window of interface parameters for optimal spin injection efficiency and current spin polarization, which provides important design guidelines for nanospintronic devices with quasi-one-dimensional semiconductor channels.

Recent advances in large-scale assembly of semiconducting inorganic nanowires and nanofibers for electronics, sensors and photovoltaics.

PubMed

Long, Yun-Ze; Yu, Miao; Sun, Bin; Gu, Chang-Zhi; Fan, Zhiyong

2012-06-21

Semiconducting inorganic nanowires (NWs), nanotubes and nanofibers have been extensively explored in recent years as potential building blocks for nanoscale electronics, optoelectronics, chemical/biological/optical sensing, and energy harvesting, storage and conversion, etc. Besides the top-down approaches such as conventional lithography technologies, nanowires are commonly grown by the bottom-up approaches such as solution growth, template-guided synthesis, and vapor-liquid-solid process at a relatively low cost. Superior performance has been demonstrated using nanowires devices. However, most of the nanowire devices are limited to the demonstration of single devices, an initial step toward nanoelectronic circuits, not adequate for production on a large scale at low cost. Controlled and uniform assembly of nanowires with high scalability is still one of the major bottleneck challenges towards the materials and device integration for electronics. In this review, we aim to present recent progress toward nanowire device assembly technologies, including flow-assisted alignment, Langmuir-Blodgett assembly, bubble-blown technique, electric/magnetic- field-directed assembly, contact/roll printing, planar growth, bridging method, and electrospinning, etc. And their applications in high-performance, flexible electronics, sensors, photovoltaics, bioelectronic interfaces and nano-resonators are also presented.

Fast-Response Single-Nanowire Photodetector Based on ZnO/WS2 Core/Shell Heterostructures.

PubMed

Butanovs, Edgars; Vlassov, Sergei; Kuzmin, Alexei; Piskunov, Sergei; Butikova, Jelena; Polyakov, Boris

2018-04-25

The surface plays an exceptionally important role in nanoscale materials, exerting a strong influence on their properties. Consequently, even a very thin coating can greatly improve the optoelectronic properties of nanostructures by modifying the light absorption and spatial distribution of charge carriers. To use these advantages, 1D/1D heterostructures of ZnO/WS 2 core/shell nanowires with a-few-layers-thick WS 2 shell were fabricated. These heterostructures were thoroughly characterized by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy. Then, a single-nanowire photoresistive device was assembled by mechanically positioning ZnO/WS 2 core/shell nanowires onto gold electrodes inside a scanning electron microscope. The results show that a few layers of WS 2 significantly enhance the photosensitivity in the short wavelength range and drastically (almost 2 orders of magnitude) improve the photoresponse time of pure ZnO nanowires. The fast response time of ZnO/WS 2 core/shell nanowire was explained by electrons and holes sinking from ZnO nanowire into WS 2 shell, which serves as a charge carrier channel in the ZnO/WS 2 heterostructure. First-principles calculations suggest that the interface layer i-WS 2 , bridging ZnO nanowire surface and WS 2 shell, might play a role of energy barrier, preventing the backward diffusion of charge carriers into ZnO nanowire.

Fully Tunable Silicon Nanowire Arrays Fabricated by Soft Nanoparticle Templating.

PubMed

Rey, By Marcel; Elnathan, Roey; Ditcovski, Ran; Geisel, Karen; Zanini, Michele; Fernandez-Rodriguez, Miguel-Angel; Naik, Vikrant V; Frutiger, Andreas; Richtering, Walter; Ellenbogen, Tal; Voelcker, Nicolas H; Isa, Lucio

2016-01-13

We demonstrate a fabrication breakthrough to produce large-area arrays of vertically aligned silicon nanowires (VA-SiNWs) with full tunability of the geometry of the single nanowires and of the whole array, paving the way toward advanced programmable designs of nanowire platforms. At the core of our fabrication route, termed "Soft Nanoparticle Templating", is the conversion of gradually compressed self-assembled monolayers of soft nanoparticles (microgels) at a water-oil interface into customized lithographical masks to create VA-SiNW arrays by means of metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE). This combination of bottom-up and top-down techniques affords excellent control of nanowire etching site locations, enabling independent control of nanowire spacing, diameter and height in a single fabrication route. We demonstrate the fabrication of centimeter-scale two-dimensional gradient photonic crystals exhibiting continuously varying structural colors across the entire visible spectrum on a single silicon substrate, and the formation of tunable optical cavities supported by the VA-SiNWs, as unambiguously demonstrated through numerical simulations. Finally, Soft Nanoparticle Templating is combined with optical lithography to create hierarchical and programmable VA-SiNW patterns.

Intravascular Neural Interface with Nanowire Electrode

PubMed Central

Watanabe, Hirobumi; Takahashi, Hirokazu; Nakao, Masayuki; Walton, Kerry; Llinás, Rodolfo R.

2010-01-01

Summary A minimally invasive electrical recording and stimulating technique capable of simultaneously monitoring the activity of a significant number (e.g., 103 to 104) of neurons is an absolute prerequisite in developing an effective brain–machine interface. Although there are many excellent methodologies for recording single or multiple neurons, there has been no methodology for accessing large numbers of cells in a behaving experimental animal or human individual. Brain vascular parenchyma is a promising candidate for addressing this problem. It has been proposed [1, 2] that a multitude of nanowire electrodes introduced into the central nervous system through the vascular system to address any brain area may be a possible solution. In this study we implement a design for such microcatheter for ex vivo experiments. Using Wollaston platinum wire, we design a submicron-scale electrode and develop a fabrication method. We then evaluate the mechanical properties of the electrode in a flow when passing through the intricacies of the capillary bed in ex vivo Xenopus laevis experiments. Furthermore, we demonstrate the feasibility of intravascular recording in the spinal cord of Xenopus laevis. PMID:21572940

Approaching the ideal elastic strain limit in silicon nanowires

PubMed Central

Zhang, Hongti; Tersoff, Jerry; Xu, Shang; Chen, Huixin; Zhang, Qiaobao; Zhang, Kaili; Yang, Yong; Lee, Chun-Sing; Tu, King-Ning; Li, Ju; Lu, Yang

2016-01-01

Achieving high elasticity for silicon (Si) nanowires, one of the most important and versatile building blocks in nanoelectronics, would enable their application in flexible electronics and bio-nano interfaces. We show that vapor-liquid-solid–grown single-crystalline Si nanowires with diameters of ~100 nm can be repeatedly stretched above 10% elastic strain at room temperature, approaching the theoretical elastic limit of silicon (17 to 20%). A few samples even reached ~16% tensile strain, with estimated fracture stress up to ~20 GPa. The deformations were fully reversible and hysteresis-free under loading-unloading tests with varied strain rates, and the failures still occurred in brittle fracture, with no visible sign of plasticity. The ability to achieve this “deep ultra-strength” for Si nanowires can be attributed mainly to their pristine, defect-scarce, nanosized single-crystalline structure and atomically smooth surfaces. This result indicates that semiconductor nanowires could have ultra-large elasticity with tunable band structures for promising “elastic strain engineering” applications. PMID:27540586

Semiconductor nanowires: A platform for nanoscience and nanotechnology

PubMed Central

Lieber, Charles M.

2012-01-01

Advances in nanoscience and nanotechnology critically depend on the development of nanostructures whose properties are controlled during synthesis. We focus on this critical concept using semiconductor nanowires, which provide the capability through design and rational synthesis to realize unprecedented structural and functional complexity in building blocks as a platform material. First, a brief review of the synthesis of complex modulated nanowires in which rational design and synthesis can be used to precisely control composition, structure, and, most recently, structural topology is discussed. Second, the unique functional characteristics emerging from our exquisite control of nanowire materials are illustrated using several selected examples from nanoelectronics and nano-enabled energy. Finally, the remarkable power of nanowire building blocks is further highlighted through their capability to create unprecedented, active electronic interfaces with biological systems. Recent work pushing the limits of both multiplexed extracellular recording at the single-cell level and the first examples of intracellular recording is described, as well as the prospects for truly blurring the distinction between nonliving nanoelectronic and living biological systems. PMID:22707850

Enhancement of electrical transport modulation in epitaxial VO2 nanowire field-effect transistor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanaka, Hidekazu; Chikanari, Masashi; Kanki, Teruo

Strongly correlated system vanadium dioxide VO2 has attracted widespread concerns from researchers as an exciting electronic material, due to the many intriguing features, especially metal-insulator transition (MIT) in vicinity of room temperature. In this work, we report a diverse geometry for high sensitivity in the transport modulation. By taking advantage of nanometer scale channel, instead of thin film channels, we demonstrated the enhancement of resistance modulation by applying gate voltage. Also we designed the insulating gate, consisting of high-k material Ta2O5/organic polymer parylene-C hybrid insulator. Such as this hybrid gate dielectric would effectively reduce interface deterioration of active channel oxide and provide sufficient carrier density. Moreover, benefited from the nanometer scale channel, the VO2 nanowire-based transistor could deliver a resistance modulation ratio over 8.5%, which are about 10 folds higher than that of the film case. Furthermore, this result is explained that in spite of the stronger field distribution in the edge parts of VO2 nanowire channel yielded little carrier density, the generated mobility modulation would biquadratic increase according to Brinkman-Rice picture as new finding.

An environment-dependent semi-empirical tight binding model suitable for electron transport in bulk metals, metal alloys, metallic interfaces, and metallic nanostructures. II. Application—Effect of quantum confinement and homogeneous strain on Cu conductance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hegde, Ganesh; Povolotskyi, Michael; Kubis, Tillmann; Charles, James; Klimeck, Gerhard

2014-03-01

The Semi-Empirical tight binding model developed in Part I Hegde et al. [J. Appl. Phys. 115, 123703 (2014)] is applied to metal transport problems of current relevance in Part II. A systematic study of the effect of quantum confinement, transport orientation, and homogeneous strain on electronic transport properties of Cu is carried out. It is found that quantum confinement from bulk to nanowire boundary conditions leads to significant anisotropy in conductance of Cu along different transport orientations. Compressive homogeneous strain is found to reduce resistivity by increasing the density of conducting modes in Cu. The [110] transport orientation in Cu nanowires is found to be the most favorable for mitigating conductivity degradation since it shows least reduction in conductance with confinement and responds most favorably to compressive strain.

Band structure engineering strategies of metal oxide semiconductor nanowires and related nanostructures: A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piyadasa, Adimali; Wang, Sibo; Gao, Pu-Xian

2017-07-01

The electronic band structure of a solid state semiconductor determines many of its physical and chemical characteristics such as electrical, optical, physicochemical, and catalytic activity. Alteration or modification of the band structure could lead to significant changes in these physical and chemical characteristics, therefore we introduce new mechanisms of creating novel solid state materials with interesting properties. Over the past three decades, research on band structure engineering has allowed development of various methods to modify the band structure of engineered materials. Compared to bulk counterparts, nanostructures generally exhibit higher band structure modulation capabilities due to the quantum confinement effect, prominent surface effect, and higher strain limit. In this review we will discuss various band structure engineering strategies in semiconductor nanowires and other related nanostructures, mostly focusing on metal oxide systems. Several important strategies of band structure modulation are discussed in detail, such as doping, alloying, straining, interface and core-shell nanostructuring.

Structure, morphology, and photoluminescence of porous Si nanowires: effect of different chemical treatments

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

The structure and light-emitting properties of Si nanowires (SiNWs) fabricated by a single-step metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) process on highly boron-doped Si were investigated after different chemical treatments. The Si nanowires that result from the etching of a highly doped p-type Si wafer by MACE are fully porous, and as a result, they show intense photoluminescence (PL) at room temperature, the characteristics of which depend on the surface passivation of the Si nanocrystals composing the nanowires. SiNWs with a hydrogen-terminated nanostructured surface resulting from a chemical treatment with a hydrofluoric acid (HF) solution show red PL, the maximum of which is blueshifted when the samples are further chemically oxidized in a piranha solution. This blueshift of PL is attributed to localized states at the Si/SiO2 interface at the shell of Si nanocrystals composing the porous SiNWs, which induce an important pinning of the electronic bandgap of the Si material and are involved in the recombination mechanism. After a sequence of HF/piranha/HF treatment, the SiNWs are almost fully dissolved in the chemical solution, which is indicative of their fully porous structure, verified also by transmission electron microscopy investigations. It was also found that a continuous porous Si layer is formed underneath the SiNWs during the MACE process, the thickness of which increases with the increase of etching time. This supports the idea that porous Si formation precedes nanowire formation. The origin of this effect is the increased etching rate at sites with high dopant concentration in the highly doped Si material. PMID:24025542

Strong light absorption capability directed by structured profile of vertical Si nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaliyawala, Harsh A.; Ray, Abhijit; Pati, Ranjan K.; Mukhopadhyay, Indrajit

2017-11-01

Si nanowire arrays (SiNWAs) with random fractal geometry was fabricated using fast, mask-less, non-lithographic and facile approach by incorporating metal assisted electroless etching of n-type Si (111) substrates. The FESEM images demonstrate the formation of nano-porous surfaces that provide effective path for the incoming light to get trapped into the cavity of nanowires. The length of NWs increases from ∼1 to 10 μm with increase in the etching time having a diameter in the range of ∼25-82 nm. A transformation from zero to first order kinetics after a prolonged etching has been determined. The synthesized SiNWAs show high light trapping properties, including a maximum photon absorption across the entire visible and near IR range below the band gap of Si. The SiNWAs etched for 15 min exhibit extremely low specular and total reflectance of ∼0.2% and 4.5%, respectively over a broadband of wavelength. The reduction in the reflection loss is accompanied with the gradient of refractive index from air to Si substrate as well as due to the sub-wavelength structures, which manifests the light scattering effect. The COMSOL multiphysics simulation has been performed to study the high broadband light absorption capability in terms of the strong localized light field confinement by varying the length of the nanowire. Moreover, the SiNWs induces the dewetting ability at the solid/liquid interface and enhances the superhydrophobicity. Furthermore, a maximum length scale of 100-200 nm manifests a strong heterogeneity along the planar section of the surface of SiNWs. The study thus provides an insight on the light propagation into the random fractal geometries of Si nanowires. These outstanding properties should contribute to the structural optimization of various optoelectronic and photonic devices.

A force sensor using nanowire arrays to understand biofilm formation (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahoo, Prasana K.; Cavalli, Alessandro; Pelegati, Vitor B.; Murillo, Duber M.; Souza, Alessandra A.; Cesar, Carlos L.; Bakkers, Erik P. A. M.; Cotta, Monica A.

2016-03-01

Understanding the cellular signaling and function at the nano-bio interface can pave the way towards developing next-generation smart diagnostic tools. From this perspective, limited reports detail so far the cellular and subcellular forces exerted by bacterial cells during the interaction with abiotic materials. Nanowire arrays with high aspect ratio have been used to detect such small forces. In this regard, live force measurements were performed ex-vivo during the interaction of Xylella fastidiosa bacterial cells with InP nanowire arrays. The influence of nanowire array topography and surface chemistry on the response and motion of bacterial cells was studied in detail. The nanowire arrays were also functionalized with different cell adhesive promoters, such as amines and XadA1, an afimbrial protein of X.fastidiosa. By employing the well-defined InP nanowire arrays platform, and single cell confocal imaging system, we were able to trace the bacterial growth pattern, and show that their initial attachment locations are strongly influenced by the surface chemistry and nanoscale surface topography. In addition, we measure the cellular forces down to few nanonewton range using these nanowire arrays. In case of nanowire functionalized with XadA1, the force exerted by vertically and horizontally attached single bacteria on the nanowire is in average 14% and 26% higher than for the pristine array, respectively. These results provide an excellent basis for live-cell force measurements as well as unravel the range of forces involved during the early stages of bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation.

High-Performance One-Body Core/Shell Nanowire Supercapacitor Enabled by Conformal Growth of Capacitive 2D WS2 Layers.

PubMed

Choudhary, Nitin; Li, Chao; Chung, Hee-Suk; Moore, Julian; Thomas, Jayan; Jung, Yeonwoong

2016-12-27

Two-dimensional (2D) transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have emerged as promising capacitive materials for supercapacitor devices owing to their intrinsically layered structure and large surface areas. Hierarchically integrating 2D TMDs with other functional nanomaterials has recently been pursued to improve electrochemical performances; however, it often suffers from limited cyclic stabilities and capacitance losses due to the poor structural integrity at the interfaces of randomly assembled materials. Here, we report high-performance core/shell nanowire supercapacitors based on an array of one-dimensional (1D) nanowires seamlessly integrated with conformal 2D TMD layers. The 1D and 2D supercapacitor components possess "one-body" geometry with atomically sharp and structurally robust core/shell interfaces, as they were spontaneously converted from identical metal current collectors via sequential oxidation/sulfurization. These hybrid supercapacitors outperform previously developed any stand-alone 2D TMD-based supercapacitors; particularly, exhibiting an exceptional charge-discharge retention over 30,000 cycles owing to their structural robustness, suggesting great potential for unconventional energy storage technologies.

Synthesis and characterization of silver nanowires with zigzag morphology in N, N-dimethylformamide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Xin; Zhao, Xiujian; Chen, Yunxia; Feng, Jinyang; Sun, Zhenya

2007-08-01

Zigzag silver nanowires with a uniform diameter of 20±5 nm were prepared by reducing silver nitrate (AgNO 3) with N, N-dimethylformamide (DMF) in the presence of tetrabutyl titanate (TBT) and acetylacetone (AcAc) at 373 K for 18 h. X-ray and selected area electron diffraction (XRD and SAED) patterns reveal that the prepared product is made of pure silver with face centered cubic structure. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigations suggest that the amount of silver nanowires is enhanced with increase in reaction time, and the end-to-end assemblies of silver nanorods are observed during the reaction process. After 18 h reaction, silver nanowires with zigzag morphology are obtained. In this paper, a possible growth process of silver nanowires with this interesting shape is described. Silver nanoparticles with small sizes were obtained by reducing Ag + ions with DMF, providing seeds for homogeneous growth of silver nanorods. With the extending reaction time, the synthesized silver nanorods were connected in an end-to-end manner, and the interface between the connections of two nanorods gradually disappeared. The final product shows zigzag morphology with various angles. The angles between two connecting straight parts of zigzag nanowires exhibit an alterable range of 74-151°. These silver nanowires show tremendous potential applications in future nanoscale electronic circuits.

Gate Modulation of Graphene-ZnO Nanowire Schottky Diode.

PubMed

Liu, Ren; You, Xu-Chen; Fu, Xue-Wen; Lin, Fang; Meng, Jie; Yu, Da-Peng; Liao, Zhi-Min

2015-05-06

Graphene-semiconductor interface is important for the applications in electronic and optoelectronic devices. Here we report the modulation of the electric transport properties of graphene/ZnO nanowire Schottky diode by gate voltage (Vg). The ideality factor of the graphene/ZnO nanowire Schottky diode is ~1.7, and the Schottky barrier height is ~0.28 eV without external Vg. The Schottky barrier height is sensitive to Vg due to the variation of Fermi level of graphene. The barrier height increases quickly with sweeping Vg towards the negative value, while decreases slowly towards the positive Vg. Our results are helpful to understand the fundamental mechanism of the electric transport in graphene-semiconductor Schottky diode.

Hysteresis in Carbon Nanotube Transistors: Measurement and Analysis of Trap Density, Energy Level, and Spatial Distribution.

PubMed

Park, Rebecca Sejung; Shulaker, Max Marcel; Hills, Gage; Suriyasena Liyanage, Luckshitha; Lee, Seunghyun; Tang, Alvin; Mitra, Subhasish; Wong, H-S Philip

2016-04-26

We present a measurement technique, which we call the Pulsed Time-Domain Measurement, for characterizing hysteresis in carbon nanotube field-effect transistors, and demonstrate its applicability for a broad range of 1D and 2D nanomaterials beyond carbon nanotubes. The Pulsed Time-Domain Measurement enables the quantification (density, energy level, and spatial distribution) of charged traps responsible for hysteresis. A physics-based model of the charge trapping process for a carbon nanotube field-effect transistor is presented and experimentally validated using the Pulsed Time-Domain Measurement. Leveraging this model, we discover a source of traps (surface traps) unique to devices with low-dimensional channels such as carbon nanotubes and nanowires (beyond interface traps which exist in today's silicon field-effect transistors). The different charge trapping mechanisms for interface traps and surface traps are studied based on their temperature dependencies. Through these advances, we are able to quantify the interface trap density for carbon nanotube field-effect transistors (∼3 × 10(13) cm(-2) eV(-1) near midgap), and compare this against a range of previously studied dielectric/semiconductor interfaces.

Ferromagnetic nanowires: Field-induced self-assembly, magnetotransport and biological applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanase, Monica

In this dissertation, a series of experiments on magnetic nanowires are described. Magnetic nanowires suspended in fluid solutions can be assembled and ordered by taking advantage of their large shape anisotropy. Magnetic manipulation and assembly techniques were developed, using electrodeposited Ni nanowires. Preorienting nanowires in a small magnetic field induced their self-assembly in continuous chains. A new technique of magnetic trapping allowed capture of single nanowires from fluid suspension on lithographically fabricated micromagnets. As described herein, the presence of an external magnetic field plays a fundamental role in all fluid assembly methods used. The dynamics of both chaining and trapping processes is described quantitatively in terms of the interplay of magnetic forces and fluid drag at low Reynolds number. Lithographic methods for addressing single nanowires for transport characterization were developed. Magnetotransport measurements were performed on individual straight and bent PtNiPt nanowires. The Pt end segments provided an oxide-free interface to the magnetic central segment. In straight nanowires, domain reversal was observed to occur via curling mode initiated in a small nucleation volume. Magnetotransport in bent nanowires allowed the investigation of a domain wall trapped at the bend. Magnetic trapping of nanowires on pre-fabricated electrodes was adapted as a successful alternative contacting technique to lithography. The self-assembly and manipulation techniques were adapted for manipulation of cells as nanowires were found to bind to cells through nonspecific adhesion mechanisms. Ni nanowires were found to outperform superparamagnetic beads in magnetic cell separations. Additionally, the large remnant magnetization of the nanowires allowed for low-field manipulation techniques. Self-assembled chains of cells were formed and single cells were localized on substrates patterned with micromagnets. A fluid flow method was developed to controllably introduce the cells in the proximity of arrays of micromagnets. Cells decorated the arrays forming patterns described well by dipolar interactions between the magnetic elements and the nanowires. Calculations of the locations favorable for trapping were performed by evaluating the energy of interaction between the array and the nanowires. A second-order mechanism of cell capture was also identified, i.e. chaining by wire-wire dipolar interaction.

Growth dynamics of SiGe nanowires by the vapour-liquid-solid method and its impact on SiGe/Si axial heterojunction abruptness.

PubMed

Pura, J L; Periwal, P; Baron, T; Jiménez, J

2018-08-31

The vapour-liquid-solid (VLS) method is by far the most extended procedure for bottom-up nanowire growth. This method also allows for the manufacture of nanowire axial heterojunctions in a straightforward way. To do this, during the growth process, precursor gases are switched on/off to obtain the desired change in the nanowire composition. Using this technique, axially heterostructured nanowires can be grown, which are crucial for the fabrication of electronic and optoelectronic devices. SiGe/Si nanowires are compatible with complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology, which improves their versatility and the possibility of integration with current electronic technologies. Abrupt heterointerfaces are fundamental for the development and correct operation of electronic and optoelectronic devices. Unfortunately, the VLS growth of SiGe/Si heterojunctions does not provide abrupt transitions because of the high solubility of group IV semiconductors in Au, with the corresponding reservoir effect that precludes the growth of sharp interfaces. In this work, we studied the growth dynamics of SiGe/Si heterojunctions based on already developed models for VLS growth. A composition map of the Si-Ge-Au liquid alloy is proposed to better understand the impact of the growing conditions on the nanowire growth process and the heterojunction formation. The solution of our model provides heterojunction profiles that are in good agreement with the experimental measurements. Finally, an in-depth study of the composition map provides a practical approach to the drastic reduction of heterojunction abruptness by reducing the Si and Ge concentrations in the catalyst droplet. This converges with previous approaches, which use catalysts aiming to reduce the solubility of the atomic species. This analysis opens new paths to the reduction of heterojunction abruptness using Au catalysts, but the model can be naturally extended to other catalysts and semiconductors.

Au nanostructure-decorated TiO2 nanowires exhibiting photoactivity across entire UV-visible region for photoelectrochemical water splitting.

PubMed

Pu, Ying-Chih; Wang, Gongming; Chang, Kao-Der; Ling, Yichuan; Lin, Yin-Kai; Fitzmorris, Bob C; Liu, Chia-Ming; Lu, Xihong; Tong, Yexiang; Zhang, Jin Z; Hsu, Yung-Jung; Li, Yat

2013-08-14

Here we demonstrate that the photoactivity of Au-decorated TiO2 electrodes for photoelectrochemical water oxidation can be effectively enhanced in the entire UV-visible region from 300 to 800 nm by manipulating the shape of the decorated Au nanostructures. The samples were prepared by carefully depositing Au nanoparticles (NPs), Au nanorods (NRs), and a mixture of Au NPs and NRs on the surface of TiO2 nanowire arrays. As compared with bare TiO2, Au NP-decorated TiO2 nanowire electrodes exhibited significantly enhanced photoactivity in both the UV and visible regions. For Au NR-decorated TiO2 electrodes, the photoactivity enhancement was, however, observed in the visible region only, with the largest photocurrent generation achieved at 710 nm. Significantly, TiO2 nanowires deposited with a mixture of Au NPs and NRs showed enhanced photoactivity in the entire UV-visible region. Monochromatic incident photon-to-electron conversion efficiency measurements indicated that excitation of surface plasmon resonance of Au is responsible for the enhanced photoactivity of Au nanostructure-decorated TiO2 nanowires. Photovoltage experiment showed that the enhanced photoactivity of Au NP-decorated TiO2 in the UV region was attributable to the effective surface passivation of Au NPs. Furthermore, 3D finite-difference time domain simulation was performed to investigate the electrical field amplification at the interface between Au nanostructures and TiO2 upon SPR excitation. The results suggested that the enhanced photoactivity of Au NP-decorated TiO2 in the UV region was partially due to the increased optical absorption of TiO2 associated with SPR electrical field amplification. The current study could provide a new paradigm for designing plasmonic metal/semiconductor composite systems to effectively harvest the entire UV-visible light for solar fuel production.

Robustness of Topological Superconductivity in Solid State Hybrid Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sitthison, Piyapong

The non-Abelian statistics of Majorana fermions (MFs) makes them an ideal platform for implementing topological quantum computation. In addition to the fascinating fundamental physics underlying the emergence of MFs, this potential for applications makes the study of these quasiparticles an extremely popular subject in condensed matter physics. The commonly called `Majorana fermions' are zero-energy bound states that emerge near boundaries and defects in topological superconducting phases, which can be engineered, for example, by proximity coupling strong spin-orbit coupling semiconductor nanowires and ordinary s-wave superconductors. The stability of these bound states is determined by the stability of the underlying topological superconducting phase. Hence, understanding their stability (which is critical for quantum computation), involves studying the robustness of the engineered topological superconductors. This work addresses this important problem in the context of two types of hybrid structures that have been proposed for realizing topological superconductivity: topological insulator - superconductor (TI-SC) and semiconductor - superconductor (SM-SC) nanostructures. In both structures, electrostatic effects due to applied external potentials and interface-induced potentials are significant. This work focuses on developing a theoretical framework for understanding these effects, to facilitate the optimization of the nanostructures studied in the laboratory. The approach presented in this thesis is based on describing the low-energy physics of the hybrid structure using effective tight-binding models that explicitly incorporate the proximity effects emerging at interfaces. Generically, as a result of the proximity coupling to the superconductor, an induced gap emerges in the semiconductor (topological insulator) sub-system. The strength of the proximity-induced gap is determined by the transparency of the interface and by the amplitude of the low- energy SM (TI) states at the interface. In turn, this amplitude is strongly impacted by electrostatic effects. In addition, these effects control the value of the chemical potential in the nanowire (nanoribbon), as well as the strength of the Rashba-type spin-orbit coupling - two key parameters that determine the stability of the topological superconducting phase. To account for these critical effects, a numerically efficient Poisson-Schrodinger scheme is developed.

"Hot spots" growth on single nanowire controlled by electric charge.

PubMed

Xi, Shaobo; Liu, Xuehua; He, Ting; Tian, Lei; Wang, Wenhui; Sun, Rui; He, Weina; Zhang, Xuetong; Zhang, Jinping; Ni, Weihai; Zhou, Xiaochun

2016-06-09

"Hot spots" - a kind of highly active site, which are usually composed of some unique units, such as defects, interfaces, catalyst particles or special structures - can determine the performance of nanomaterials. In this paper, we study a model system, i.e. "hot spots" on a single Ag nanowire in the galvanic replacement reaction (GRR), by dark-field microscopy. The research reveals that electric charge can be released by the formation reaction of AgCl, and consequently the electrochemical potential on Ag nanowire drops. The electric charge could induce the reduction of Ag(+) to form the "hot spots" on the nanowire during the GRR. The appearance probability of "hot spots" is almost even along the Ag nanowire, while it is slightly lower near the two ends. The spatial distance between adjacent "hot spots" is also controlled by the charge, and obeys a model based on Boltzmann distribution. In addition, the distance distribution here has an advantage in electron transfer and energy saving. Therefore, it's necessary to consider the functions of electric charge during the synthesis or application of nanomaterials.

Synthesis of Ga 2O 3 chains with closely spaced knots connected by nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, L.; You, L. P.; Duan, X. F.; Lian, W. C.; Qin, G. G.

2004-07-01

Chains of closely spaced metal or semiconductor particles have potential applications in optoelectronics and single electron devices. We report, for the first time, the synthesis of Ga 2O 3 chains with closely spaced knots connected by nanowires using the thermal evaporation method with a specially designed quartz boat. The Ga 2O 3 chains grew only on the Si substrates where Au catalyst or Ga droplets were coated. The average diameter of the knots is about 450 nm and that of the nanowires is about 50 nm. The selected area electron diffraction of either a knot or a connecting nanowire includes two sets of overlapped single crystal electron diffraction patterns which belong to the [1 0 2] and [1 0 1¯] crystal zone axes of the monoclinic β-Ga 2O 3 phase, respectively. The knot and its neighbor nanowire have the common ( 2¯ 0 1) growth planes at their interface. A mechanism model for the Ga 2O 3 chains synthesis based on the vapor-liquid-solid mechanism is discussed.

Amine treatment induced perovskite nanowire network in perovskite solar cells: efficient surface passivation and carrier transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Ke; Cui, Can; Wang, Peng; Lin, Ping; Qiang, Yaping; Xu, Lingbo; Xie, Jiangsheng; Yang, Zhengrui; Zhu, Xiaodong; Yu, Xuegong; Yang, Deren

2018-02-01

In the fabrication of high efficiency organic-inorganic metal halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs), an additional interface modifier is usually applied for enhancing the interface passivation and carrier transport. In this paper, we develop an innovative method with in-situ growth of one-dimensional perovskite nanowire (1D PNW) network triggered by Lewis amine over the perovskite films. To our knowledge, this is the first time to fabricate PSCs with shape-controlled perovskite surface morphology, which improved power conversion efficiency (PCE) from 14.32% to 16.66% with negligible hysteresis. The amine molecule can passivate the trap states on the polycrystalline perovskite surface to reduce trap-state density. Meanwhile, as a fast channel, the 1D PNWs would promote carrier transport from the bulk perovskite film to the electron transport layer. The PSCs with 1D PNW modification not only exhibit excellent photovoltaic performances, but also show good stability with only 4% PCE loss within 30 days in the ambient air without encapsulation. Our results strongly suggest that in-situ grown 1D PNW network provides a feasible and effective strategy for nanostructured optoelectronic devices such as PSCs to achieve superior performances.

Interaction of hybrid nanowire-nanoparticle structures with carbon monoxide.

PubMed

Dobrokhotov, V V; McIlroy, D N; Norton, M Grant; Abdelrahaman, R; Safir, A; Berven, C A

2009-04-01

A gas-phase sensor based on a GaN nanowire mat decorated with Au nanoparticles was studied both experimentally and theoretically. The sensor is responsive to CO and H(2) and could be used to study the water-gas-shift reaction, which involves combining CO and H(2)O to produce H(2). It was shown that for catalyzing this reaction using support Au nanoparticles, the sequence in which the reactants are exposed to the catalyst surface is critical. To quantitatively evaluate the sensor response to gas exposure a depletion model was developed that considered the Au nanoparticle-semiconductor interface as a nano-Schottky barrier where variation in the depletion region caused changes in the electrical conductivity of the nanowires.

Carrier Transport of Silver Nanowire Contact to p-GaN and its Influence on Leakage Current of LEDs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oh, Munsik; Kang, Jae-Wook; Kim, Hyunsoo

2018-03-01

The authors investigated the silver nanowires (AgNWs) contact formed on p-GaN. Transmission line model applied to the AgNWs contact to p-GaN produced near ohmic contact with a specific contact resistance (ρ sc) of 10-1˜10-4 Ω·cm2. Noticeably, the contact resistance had a strong bias-voltage (or current-density) dependence associated with a local joule heating effect. Current-voltage-temperature (I-V-T) measurement revealed a strong temperature dependence with respect to ρ sc, indicating that the temperature played a key role of an enhanced carrier transport. The local joule heating at AgNW/GaN interface, however, resulted in a generation of leakage current of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) caused by degradation of AgNW contact.

Catalyst-free fabrication of novel ZnO/CuO core-Shell nanowires heterojunction: Controlled growth, structural and optoelectronic properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, Muhammad Arif; Wahab, Yussof; Muhammad, Rosnita; Tahir, Muhammad; Sakrani, Samsudi

2018-03-01

Development of controlled growth and vertically aligned ZnO/CuO core-shell heterojunction nanowires (NWs) with large area by a catalyst free vapor deposition and oxidation approach has been investigated. Structural characterization reveals successful fabrication of a core ZnO nanowire having single crystalline hexagonal wurtzite structure along [002] direction and CuO nanostructure shell with thickness (8-10 nm) having polycrystalline monoclinic structure. The optical property analysis suggests that the reflectance spectrum of ZnO/CuO heterostructure nanowires is decreased by 18% in the visible range, which correspondingly shows high absorption in this region as compared to pristine ZnO nanowires. The current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of core-shell heterojunction nanowires measured by conductive atomic force microscopy (C-AFM) shows excellent rectifying behavior, which indicates the characteristics of a good p-n junction. The high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) has confirmed the sharp junction interface between the core-shell heterojunction nanowire arrays. The valence band offset and conduction band offset at ZnO/CuO heterointerfaces are measured to be 2.4 ± 0.05 and 0.23 ± 0.005 eV respectively, using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and a type-II band alignment structure is found. The results of this study contribute to the development of new advanced device heterostructures for solar energy conversion and optoelectronics applications.

Surface passivation and self-regulated shell growth in selective area-grown GaN-(Al,Ga)N core-shell nanowires.

PubMed

Hetzl, Martin; Winnerl, Julia; Francaviglia, Luca; Kraut, Max; Döblinger, Markus; Matich, Sonja; Fontcuberta I Morral, Anna; Stutzmann, Martin

2017-06-01

The large surface-to-volume ratio of GaN nanowires implicates sensitivity of the optical and electrical properties of the nanowires to their surroundings. The implementation of an (Al,Ga)N shell with a larger band gap around the GaN nanowire core is a promising geometry to seal the GaN surface. We investigate the luminescence and structural properties of selective area-grown GaN-(Al,Ga)N core-shell nanowires grown on Si and diamond substrates. While the (Al,Ga)N shell allows a suppression of yellow defect luminescence from the GaN core, an overall intensity loss due to Si-related defects at the GaN/(Al,Ga)N interface has been observed in the case of Si substrates. Scanning transmission electron microscopy measurements indicate a superior crystal quality of the (Al,Ga)N shell along the nanowire side facets compared to the (Al,Ga)N cap at the top facet. A nucleation study of the (Al,Ga)N shell reveals a pronounced bowing of the nanowires along the c-direction after a short deposition time which disappears for longer growth times. This is assigned to an initially inhomogeneous shell nucleation. A detailed study of the proceeding shell growth allows the formulation of a strain-driven self-regulating (Al,Ga)N shell nucleation model.

ZnO Quantum Dot Decorated Zn2SnO4 Nanowire Heterojunction Photodetectors with Drastic Performance Enhancement and Flexible Ultraviolet Image Sensors.

PubMed

Li, Ludong; Gu, Leilei; Lou, Zheng; Fan, Zhiyong; Shen, Guozhen

2017-04-25

Here we report the fabrication of high-performance ultraviolet photodetectors based on a heterojunction device structure in which ZnO quantum dots were used to decorate Zn 2 SnO 4 nanowires. Systematic investigations have shown their ultrahigh light-to-dark current ratio (up to 6.8 × 10 4 ), specific detectivity (up to 9.0 × 10 17 Jones), photoconductive gain (up to 1.1 × 10 7 ), fast response, and excellent stability. Compared with a pristine Zn 2 SnO 4 nanowire, a quantum dot decorated nanowire demonstrated about 10 times higher photocurrent and responsivity. Device physics modeling showed that their high performance originates from the rational energy band engineering, which allows efficient separation of electron-hole pairs at the interfaces between ZnO quantum dots and a Zn 2 SnO 4 nanowire. As a result of band engineering, holes migrate to ZnO quantum dots, which increases electron concentration and lifetime in the nanowire conduction channel, leading to significantly improved photoresponse. The enhancement mechanism found in this work can also be used to guide the design of high-performance photodetectors based on other nanomaterials. Furthermore, flexible ultraviolet photodetectors were fabricated and integrated into a 10 × 10 device array, which constitutes a high-performance flexible ultraviolet image sensor. These intriguing results suggest that the band alignment engineering on nanowires can be rationally achieved using compound semiconductor quantum dots. This can lead to largely improved device performance. Particularly for ZnO quantum dot decorated Zn 2 SnO 4 nanowires, these decorated nanowires may find broad applications in future flexible and wearable electronics.

High-performance silicon nanowire field-effect transistor with silicided contacts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosaz, G.; Salem, B.; Pauc, N.; Gentile, P.; Potié, A.; Solanki, A.; Baron, T.

2011-08-01

Undoped silicon nanowire (Si NW) field-effect transistors (FETs) with a back-gate configuration have been fabricated and characterized. A thick (200 nm) Si3N4 layer was used as a gate insulator and a p++ silicon substrate as a back gate. Si NWs have been grown by the chemical vapour deposition method using the vapour-liquid-solid mechanism and gold as a catalyst. Metallic contacts have been deposited using Ni/Al (80 nm/120 nm) and characterized before and after an optimized annealing step at 400 °C, which resulted in a great decrease in the contact resistance due to the newly formed nickel silicide/Si interface at source and drain. These optimized devices show a good hole mobility of around 200 cm2 V-1 s-1, in the same range as the bulk material, with a good ON current density of about 28 kA cm-2. Finally, hysteretic behaviour of NW channel conductance is discussed to explain the importance of NW surface passivation.

Growth and Characterisation of GaAs/AlGaAs Core-shell Nanowires for Optoelectronic Device Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Nian

III-V semiconductor nanowires have been investigated as key components for future electronic and optoelectronic devices and systems due to their direct band gap and high electron mobility. Amongst the III-V semiconductors, the planar GaAs material system has been extensively studied and used in industries. Accordingly, GaAs nanowires are the prime candidates for nano-scale devices. However, the electronic performance of GaAs nanowires has yet to match that of state-of-the-art planar GaAs devices. The present deficiency of GaAs nanowires is typically attributed to the large surface-to- volume ratio and the tendency for non-radiative recombination centres to form at the surface. The favoured solution of this problem is by coating GaAs nanowires with AlGaAs shells, which replaces the GaAs surface with GaAs/AlGaAs interface. This thesis presents a systematic study of GaAs/AlGaAs core-shell nanowires grown by metal organic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD), including understanding the growth, and characterisation of their structural and optical properties. The structures of the nanowires were mainly studied by scanning electron microscopy and transmis- sion electron microscopy (TEM). A procedure of microtomy was developed to prepare the cross-sectional samples for the TEM studies. The optical properties were charac- terised by photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. Carrier lifetimes were measured by time-resolved PL. The growth of AlGaAs shell was optimised to obtain the best optical properties, e.g. the strongest PL emission and the longest minority carrier lifetimes. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.).

Rectification and Photoconduction Mapping of Axial Metal-Semiconductor Interfaces Embedded in GaAs Nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orrù, Marta; Piazza, Vincenzo; Rubini, Silvia; Roddaro, Stefano

2015-10-01

Semiconductor nanowires have emerged as an important enabling technology and are today used in many advanced device architectures, with an impact both for what concerns fundamental science and in view of future applications. One of the key challenges in the development of nanowire-based devices is the fabrication of reliable nanoscale contacts. Recent developments in the creation of metal-semiconductor junctions by thermal annealing of metallic electrodes offer promising perspectives. Here, we analyze the optoelectronic properties of nano-Schottky barriers obtained thanks to the controlled formation of metallic AuGa regions in GaAs nanowire. The junctions display a rectifying behavior and their transport characteristics are analyzed to extract the average ideality factor and barrier height in the current architecture. The presence, location, and properties of the Schottky junctions are cross-correlated with spatially resolved photocurrent measurements. Broadband light emission is reported in the reverse breakdown regime; this observation, combined with the absence of electroluminescence at forward bias, is consistent with the device unipolar nature.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Srivastava, Himanshu; Ganguli, Tapas; Deb, S. K.

The in-situ growth of CuO nanowires was studied by Energy Dispersive X-ray Diffraction (EDXRD) to observe the mechanism of growth. The study was carried out for comparison at two temperatures—at 500 °C, the optimum temperature of the nanowires growth, and at 300 °C just below the temperature range of the growth. The in situ observation revealed the successive oxidation of Cu foil to Cu{sub 2}O layer and finally to CuO layer. Further analysis showed the presence of a compressive stress in CuO layer due to interface at CuO and Cu{sub 2}O layers. The compressive stress was found to increase withmore » the growth of the nanowires at 500 °C while it relaxed with the growth of CuO layer at 300 °C. The present results do not support the existing model of stress relaxation induced growth of nanowires. Based on the detailed Transmission Electron Microscope, Scanning Electron Microscope, and EDXRD results, a microstructure based growth model has been suggested.« less

Conversion between hexagonal GaN and beta-Ga(2)O(3) nanowires and their electrical transport properties.

PubMed

Li, Jianye; An, Lei; Lu, Chenguang; Liu, Jie

2006-02-01

We have observed that the hexagonal GaN nanowires grown from a simple chemical vapor deposition method using gallium metal and ammonia gas are usually gallium-doped. By annealing in air, the gallium-doped hexagonal GaN nanowires could be completely converted to beta-Ga(2)O(3) nanowires. Annealing the beta-Ga(2)O(3) nanowires in ammonia could convert them back to undoped hexagonal GaN nanowires. Field effect transistors based on these three kinds of nanowires were fabricated, and their performances were studied. Because of gallium doping, the as-grown GaN nanowires show a weak gating effect. Through the conversion process of GaN nanowires (gallium-doped) --> Ga(2)O(3) nanowires --> GaN nanowires (undoped) via annealing, the final undoped GaN nanowires display different electrical properties than the initial gallium-doped GaN nanowires, show a pronounced n-type gating effect, and can be completely turned off.

Amphiphilic Bio-molecules/ZnO Interface: Enhancement of Bio-affinity and Dispersibility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, Xiu-Qing; Fang, Yun-Zhang; Wu, Feng-Min

2012-01-01

The dispersibility of bio-molecules such as lecithins on the surface of ZnO nanowires are investigated for biosensor applications. Lecithins can be absorbed on an as-synthesized ZnO nanowire surface in the form of sub-micro sized clusters, while scattering well on those annealed under oxygen atmosphere. Wettability analysis reveals that the as-synthesized ZnO nanowires bear a super-hydrophobic surface, which convents to superhydrophilic after oxygen annealing. First-principles calculations indicate that the adsorption energy of ZnO with water is about 0.2 eV at a distance of 2 Å when it is superhydrophilic, suggesting that lecithin can be absorbed on the hydrophilic surface stably at this distance and the bio-affinity can be enhanced under this condition.

Zinc Oxide Nanowire Interphase for Enhanced Lightweight Polymer Fiber Composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sodano, Henry A.; Brett, Robert

2011-01-01

The objective of this work was to increase the interfacial strength between aramid fiber and epoxy matrix. This was achieved by functionalizing the aramid fiber followed by growth of a layer of ZnO nanowires on the fiber surface such that when embedded into the polymer, the load transfer and bonding area could be substantially enhanced. The functionalization procedure developed here created functional carboxylic acid surface groups that chemically interact with the ZnO and thus greatly enhance the strength of the interface between the fiber and the ZnO.

Symmetric transparent and flexible supercapacitor based on bio-inspired graphene-wrapped Fe2O3 nanowire networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Xuankai; Zhang, Haiyan; Li, Na

2017-02-01

Transition metal oxides with high specific capacitance materials are ideal for a new generation of high-performance transparent supercapacitors but are rarely reported. Commonly, the synthesis of the required nanostructured materials is a crucial step required to achieve the transparency of the device. In this study, a Fe2O3 nanowire network transparent film is developed simply through air-solution interface reactions and wrapped in graphene shells for use as transparent electrodes. The Fe2O3 nanowire networks surrounded by the graphene layer exhibit an effective encapsulation structure, providing rapid three-dimensional electron and ion transport pathways. The specific areal capacitance (3.3 mF cm-2 at a scan rate of 10 mV s-1) was greatly improved, which is at least one hundred times higher than that for transparent devices based on planar chemical vapor deposition graphene. Furthermore, the films have a power density of 191.3 W cm-3, which is higher than that of electrolytic capacitors, an energy density of 8 mWh cm-3, which is comparable to that of lithium thin-film batteries, and superior cycling stability.

The effect of nanowire length and diameter on the properties of transparent, conducting nanowire films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bergin, Stephen M.; Chen, Yu-Hui; Rathmell, Aaron R.; Charbonneau, Patrick; Li, Zhi-Yuan; Wiley, Benjamin J.

2012-03-01

This article describes how the dimensions of nanowires affect the transmittance and sheet resistance of a random nanowire network. Silver nanowires with independently controlled lengths and diameters were synthesized with a gram-scale polyol synthesis by controlling the reaction temperature and time. Characterization of films composed of nanowires of different lengths but the same diameter enabled the quantification of the effect of length on the conductance and transmittance of silver nanowire films. Finite-difference time-domain calculations were used to determine the effect of nanowire diameter, overlap, and hole size on the transmittance of a nanowire network. For individual nanowires with diameters greater than 50 nm, increasing diameter increases the electrical conductance to optical extinction ratio, but the opposite is true for nanowires with diameters less than this size. Calculations and experimental data show that for a random network of nanowires, decreasing nanowire diameter increases the number density of nanowires at a given transmittance, leading to improved connectivity and conductivity at high transmittance (>90%). This information will facilitate the design of transparent, conducting nanowire films for flexible displays, organic light emitting diodes and thin-film solar cells.This article describes how the dimensions of nanowires affect the transmittance and sheet resistance of a random nanowire network. Silver nanowires with independently controlled lengths and diameters were synthesized with a gram-scale polyol synthesis by controlling the reaction temperature and time. Characterization of films composed of nanowires of different lengths but the same diameter enabled the quantification of the effect of length on the conductance and transmittance of silver nanowire films. Finite-difference time-domain calculations were used to determine the effect of nanowire diameter, overlap, and hole size on the transmittance of a nanowire network. For individual nanowires with diameters greater than 50 nm, increasing diameter increases the electrical conductance to optical extinction ratio, but the opposite is true for nanowires with diameters less than this size. Calculations and experimental data show that for a random network of nanowires, decreasing nanowire diameter increases the number density of nanowires at a given transmittance, leading to improved connectivity and conductivity at high transmittance (>90%). This information will facilitate the design of transparent, conducting nanowire films for flexible displays, organic light emitting diodes and thin-film solar cells. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Includes methods and transmission spectra of nanowire films. See DOI: 10.1039/c2nr30126a

Stages in molecular beam epitaxy growth of GaAs nanowires studied by x-ray diffraction.

PubMed

Mariager, Simon O; Lauridsen, Søren L; Sørensen, Claus B; Dohn, Asmus; Willmott, Phillip R; Nygård, Jesper; Feidenhans'l, Robert

2010-03-19

GaAs nanowires were grown by molecular beam epitaxy and studied by glancing-angle x-ray diffraction during five different stages of the growth process. An entire forest of randomly positioned epitaxial nanowires was sampled simultaneously and a large variation in the Au-Ga catalyst was found. Au, AuGa, AuGa(2) and the hexagonal beta phase were all identified in several orientations and in similar amounts. The nanowires are shown to consist of regular zinc blende crystal, its twin and the hexagonal wurtzite. The evolution of the various Au-Ga catalysts and the development in the twin to the wurtzite abundance ratio indicate that the Au catalyst is saturated upon initiation of growth leading to an increased amount of wurtzite structure in the wires. A specular x-ray scan identifies the various Au-Ga alloys, three Au lattice constants and a rough interface between nanowires and catalyst. Reciprocal space maps were obtained around Au Bragg points and show the development of the Au catalyst from a distribution largely oriented with respect to the lattice to a non-uniform distribution with several well-defined lattice constants.

Directional charge separation in isolated organic semiconductor crystalline nanowires

DOE PAGES

Labastide, J. A.; Thompson, H. B.; Marques, S. R.; ...

2016-02-25

One of the fundamental design paradigms in organic photovoltaic device engineering is based on the idea that charge separation is an extrinsically driven process requiring an interface for exciton fission. This idea has driven an enormous materials science engineering effort focused on construction of domain sizes commensurate with a nominal exciton diffusion length of order 10 nm. Here, we show that polarized optical excitation of isolated pristine crystalline nanowires of a small molecule n-type organic semiconductor, 7,8,15,16-tetraazaterrylene, generates a significant population of charge-separated polaron pairs along the π-stacking direction. Charge separation was signalled by pronounced power-law photoluminescence decay polarized alongmore » the same axis. In the transverse direction, we observed exponential decay associated with excitons localized on individual monomers. We propose that this effect derives from an intrinsic directional charge-transfer interaction that can ultimately be programmed by molecular packing geometry.« less

InP and InAs nanowires hetero- and homojunctions: energetic stability and electronic properties.

PubMed

Dionízio Moreira, M; Venezuela, P; Miwa, R H

2010-07-16

We performed an ab initio total energy investigation, within the density functional theory, of the energetic stability and the electronic properties of hydrogenated InAs/InP nanowire (NW) heterojunctions, as well as InAs and InP homojunctions composed of different structural arrangements, zinc-blend (zb) and wurtzite (w). For InAs/InP NW heterojunctions our results indicate that w and zb NW heterojunctions are quite similar, energetically, for thin NWs. We also examined the robustness of the abrupt interface through an atomic <--> swap at the InAs/InP interface. Our results support the formation of abrupt (non-abrupt) interfaces in w (zb) InAs/InP heterojunctions. Concerning InAs/InP NW-SLs, our results indicate a type-I band alignment, with the energy barrier at the InP layers, in accordance with experimental works. For InAs or InP zb/w homojunctions, we also found a type-I band alignment for thin NWs, however, on increasing the NW diameter both InAs and InP homojunctions exhibit a type-II band alignment.

Nanowire Ice of Phase VI and Distorted VII in Mesoporous Silica Nanotorus Superlattice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Jinlong; Zhang, Jianzhong; Zhao, Yusheng

2014-03-01

The motivation of nano H2O realization and characterization is the highly polarized nature of H2O molecules and the spatial hydrogen bonded networks both in liquid and solid form. The hydrogen bonding character of water molecules results in a remarkably rich phase diagram in the pressure-temperature space. Water/Ice confined in nanochannels showed novel structures and properties as results of hydrophobic and hydrophilic interactions and hydrogen bonding interaction between water molecule and the surface of nanochannel. Studies on nano H2O can provide potential pathway to understand the complicated structure evolutions of ice in the P- T space, because the interplay between nano-confinement and strong intermolecular hydrogen interactions can lead to even richer ice structures which were not found in the none-confined bulk form. The high pressure experiment indicated that the pressure of nanowire ice VI and VII shifted up to 1.7 GPa and 2.5 GPa, and about ~ 0.65 GPa and 0.4 GPa higher than that of normal ice. The nano size effect and the strength of mesoporous silica nanotorus are responsible for the pressure shifts of ice phase regions. More pronounced, the cubic ice VII changed into a tetragonal distorted ``psuedocubic'' structure of the nanowire ice when confined in the mesoporous tubes. The degree of tetragonality increased with increasing pressure, which is resulted from the uniaxial pressure nanowire ice felt, and the anisotropic hydrogen bonding interactions including the H2O-H2O hydrogen bonds in the bulk of the ice and the H2O-silica -OH hydrogen bonds between the interface of nanowire ice and mesoporous silica. The experimental work has benefited from the use of CHESS at Cornell University, which is supported by the NSF award DMR-0936384.

Nanostructures: a platform for brain repair and augmentation

PubMed Central

Vidu, Ruxandra; Rahman, Masoud; Mahmoudi, Morteza; Enachescu, Marius; Poteca, Teodor D.; Opris, Ioan

2014-01-01

Nanoscale structures have been at the core of research efforts dealing with integration of nanotechnology into novel electronic devices for the last decade. Because the size of nanomaterials is of the same order of magnitude as biomolecules, these materials are valuable tools for nanoscale manipulation in a broad range of neurobiological systems. For instance, the unique electrical and optical properties of nanowires, nanotubes, and nanocables with vertical orientation, assembled in nanoscale arrays, have been used in many device applications such as sensors that hold the potential to augment brain functions. However, the challenge in creating nanowires/nanotubes or nanocables array-based sensors lies in making individual electrical connections fitting both the features of the brain and of the nanostructures. This review discusses two of the most important applications of nanostructures in neuroscience. First, the current approaches to create nanowires and nanocable structures are reviewed to critically evaluate their potential for developing unique nanostructure based sensors to improve recording and device performance to reduce noise and the detrimental effect of the interface on the tissue. Second, the implementation of nanomaterials in neurobiological and medical applications will be considered from the brain augmentation perspective. Novel applications for diagnosis and treatment of brain diseases such as multiple sclerosis, meningitis, stroke, epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, and autism will be considered. Because the blood brain barrier (BBB) has a defensive mechanism in preventing nanomaterials arrival to the brain, various strategies to help them to pass through the BBB will be discussed. Finally, the implementation of nanomaterials in neurobiological applications is addressed from the brain repair/augmentation perspective. These nanostructures at the interface between nanotechnology and neuroscience will play a pivotal role not only in addressing the multitude of brain disorders but also to repair or augment brain functions. PMID:24999319

Atomistic Interface Dynamics in Sn-Catalyzed Growth of Wurtzite and Zinc-Blende ZnO Nanowires.

PubMed

Jia, Shuangfeng; Hu, Shuaishuai; Zheng, He; Wei, Yanjie; Meng, Shuang; Sheng, Huaping; Liu, Huihui; Zhou, Siyuan; Zhao, Dongshan; Wang, Jianbo

2018-06-11

Unraveling the phase selection mechanisms of semiconductor nanowires (NWs) is critical for the applications in future advanced nanodevices. In this study, the atomistic vapor-solid-liquid growth processes of Sn-catalyzed wurtzite (WZ) and zinc blende (ZB) ZnO are directly revealed based on the in situ transmission electron microscopy. The growth kinetics of WZ and ZB crystal phases in ZnO appear markedly different in terms of the NW-droplet interface, whereas the nucleation site as determined by the contact angle ϕ between the seed particle and the NW is found to be crucial for tuning the NW structure through combined experimental and theoretical investigations. These results offer an atomic-scale view into the dynamic growth process of ZnO NW, which has implications for the phase-controllable synthesis of II-VI compounds and heterostructures with tunable band structures.

Real-Time Probing of Nanowire Assembly Kinetics at the Air-Water Interface by In Situ Synchrotron X-Ray Scattering.

PubMed

He, Zhen; Jiang, Hui-Jun; Wu, Long-Long; Liu, Jian-Wei; Wang, Geng; Wang, Xiao; Wang, Jin-Long; Hou, Zhong-Huai; Chen, Gang; Yu, Shu-Hong

2018-07-02

Although many assembly strategies have been used to successfully construct well-aligned nanowire (NW) assemblies, the understanding of their assembly kinetics has remained elusive, which restricts the development of NW-based device and circuit fabrication. Now a versatile strategy that combines interfacial assembly and synchrotron-based grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) is presented to track the assembly evolution of the NWs in real time. During the interface assembly process, the randomly dispersed NWs gradually aggregate to form small ordered NW-blocks and finally are constructed into well-defined NW monolayer driven by the conformation entropy. The NW assembly mechanism can be well revealed by the thermodynamic analysis and large-scale molecular dynamics theoretical evaluation. These findings point to new opportunities for understanding NW assembly kinetics and manipulating NW assembled structures by bottom-up strategy. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Structural analysis of the epitaxial interface Ag/ZnO in hierarchical nanoantennas.

PubMed

Sanchez, John Eder; Santiago, Ulises; Benitez, Alfredo; Yacamán, Miguel José; González, Francisco Javier; Ponce, Arturo

2016-10-10

Detectors, photo-emitter, and other high order radiation devices work under the principle of directionality to enhance the power of emission/transmission in a particular direction. In order to understand such directionality, it is important to study their coupling mechanism of their active elements. In this work, we present a crystalline orientation analysis of ZnO nanorods grown epitaxially on the pentagonal faces of silver nanowires. The analysis of the crystalline orientation at the metal-semiconductor interface (ZnO/Ag) is performed with precession electron diffraction under assisted scanning mode. In addition, high resolution X-ray diffraction on a Bragg-Brentano configuration has been used to identify the crystalline phases of the arrangement between ZnO rods and silver nanowires. The work presented herein provides a fundamental knowledge to understand the metal-semiconductor behavior related to the receiving/transmitting mechanisms of ZnO/Ag nanoantennas.

An impedimetric immunosensor based on diamond nanowires decorated with nickel nanoparticles.

PubMed

Subramanian, Palaniappan; Motorina, Anastasiia; Yeap, Weng Siang; Haenen, Ken; Coffinier, Yannick; Zaitsev, Vladimir; Niedziolka-Jonsson, Joanna; Boukherroub, Rabah; Szunerits, Sabine

2014-04-07

Nanostructured boron-doped diamond has been investigated as a sensitive impedimetric electrode for the detection of immunoglobulin G (IgG). The immunosensor was constructed in a three-step process: (i) reactive ion etching of flat boron-doped diamond (BDD) interfaces to synthesize BDD nanowires (BDD NWs), (ii) electrochemical deposition of nickel nanoparticles (Ni NPs) on the BDD NWs, and (iii) immobilization of biotin-tagged anti-IgG onto the Ni NPs. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was used to follow the binding of IgG at different concentrations without the use of any additional label. A detection limit of 0.3 ng mL(-1) (2 nM) with a dynamic range up to 300 ng mL(-1) (2 μM) was obtained with the interface. Moreover, the study demonstrated that this immunosensor exhibits good stability over time and allows regeneration by incubation in ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) aqueous solution.

Dense Vertically Aligned Copper Nanowire Composites as High Performance Thermal Interface Materials.

PubMed

Barako, Michael T; Isaacson, Scott G; Lian, Feifei; Pop, Eric; Dauskardt, Reinhold H; Goodson, Kenneth E; Tice, Jesse

2017-12-06

Thermal interface materials (TIMs) are essential for managing heat in modern electronics, and nanocomposite TIMs can offer critical improvements. Here, we demonstrate thermally conductive, mechanically compliant TIMs based on dense, vertically aligned copper nanowires (CuNWs) embedded into polymer matrices. We evaluate the thermal and mechanical characteristics of 20-25% dense CuNW arrays with and without polydimethylsiloxane infiltration. The thermal resistance achieved is below 5 mm 2 K W -1 , over an order of magnitude lower than commercial heat sink compounds. Nanoindentation reveals that the nonlinear deformation mechanics of this TIM are influenced by both the CuNW morphology and the polymer matrix. We also implement a flip-chip bonding protocol to directly attach CuNW composites to copper surfaces, as required in many thermal architectures. Thus, we demonstrate a rational design strategy for nanocomposite TIMs that simultaneously retain the high thermal conductivity of aligned CuNWs and the mechanical compliance of a polymer.

Tattoolike Polyaniline Microparticle-Doped Gold Nanowire Patches as Highly Durable Wearable Sensors.

PubMed

Gong, Shu; Lai, Daniel T H; Wang, Yan; Yap, Lim Wei; Si, Kae Jye; Shi, Qianqian; Jason, Naveen Noah; Sridhar, Tam; Uddin, Hemayet; Cheng, Wenlong

2015-09-09

Wearable and highly sensitive strain sensors are essential components of electronic skin for future biomonitoring and human machine interfaces. Here we report a low-cost yet efficient strategy to dope polyaniline microparticles into gold nanowire (AuNW) films, leading to 10 times enhancement in conductivity and ∼8 times improvement in sensitivity. Simultaneously, tattoolike wearable sensors could be fabricated simply by a direct "draw-on" strategy with a Chinese penbrush. The stretchability of the sensors could be enhanced from 99.7% to 149.6% by designing curved tattoo with different radius of curvatures. We also demonstrated roller coating method to encapusulate AuNWs sensors, exhibiting excellent water resistibility and durability. Because of improved conductivity of our sensors, they can directly interface with existing wireless circuitry, allowing for fabrication of wireless flexion sensors for a human finger-controlled robotic arm system.

Single crystalline SmB6 nanowires for self-powered, broadband photodetectors covering mid-infrared

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Yong; Lai, Jiawei; Kong, Lingjian; Ma, Junchao; Lin, Zhu; Lin, Fang; Zhu, Rui; Xu, Jun; Huang, Shiu-Ming; Tang, Dongsheng; Liu, Song; Zhang, Zhensheng; Liao, Zhi-Min; Sun, Dong; Yu, Dapeng

2018-04-01

Self-powered photodetectors with a broadband response have attracted great attention due to their potential applications in sensing, imaging, communication, and spectroscopy. Specifically, those with the detection wavelength range covering mid-infrared at room temperature are very challenging and highly desired. Here, the photoresponse of self-powered SmB6 photodetectors is demonstrated through the spatially resolved photocurrent mapping. The photocurrent originates from the interface between the SmB6 and Au electrodes due to the charge separation by built-in electric fields at the interface. It exhibits a stable photoresponse over broadband wavelengths ranging from 488 nm to 10.6 μm at room-temperature. Our results suggest that the chemical vapor deposition grown SmB6 nanowires could be promising candidates for future broadband self-powered detectors and pave the way toward SmB6-based optoelectronic applications.

Spatially resolved multicolor CsPbX 3 nanowire heterojunctions via anion exchange

DOE PAGES

Dou, Letian; Lai, Minliang; Kley, Christopher S.; ...

2017-06-26

Halide perovskites are promising semiconductor materials for solution-processed optoelectronic devices. Their strong ionic bonding nature results in highly dynamic crystal lattices, inherently allowing rapid ion exchange at the solid–vapor and solid–liquid interface. In this paper, we show that the anion-exchange chemistry can be precisely controlled in single-crystalline halide perovskite nanomaterials when combined with nanofabrication techniques. We demonstrate spatially resolved multicolor CsPbX 3 (X = Cl, Br, I, or alloy of two halides) nanowire heterojunctions with a pixel size down to 500 nm with the photoluminescence tunable over the entire visible spectrum. In addition, the heterojunctions show distinct electronic states acrossmore » the interface, as revealed by Kelvin probe force microscopy. Finally, these perovskite heterojunctions represent key building blocks for high-resolution multicolor displays beyond current state-of-the-art technology as well as high-density diode/transistor arrays.« less

Robust binder-free anodes assembled with ultralong mischcrystal TiO2 nanowires and reduced graphene oxide for high-rate and long cycle life lithium-ion storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Yongzheng; Yang, Dongzhi; Yu, Ruomeng; Liu, Yaxin; Hao, Shu-Meng; Zhang, Shiyi; Qu, Jin; Yu, Zhong-Zhen

2018-04-01

To satisfy increasing power demands of mobile devices and electric vehicles, rationally designed electrodes with short diffusion length are highly imperative to provide highly efficient ion and electron transport paths for high-rate and long-life lithium-ion batteries. Herein, binder-free electrodes with the robust three-dimensional conductive network are prepared by assembling ultralong TiO2 nanowires with reduced graphene oxide (RGO) sheets for high-performance lithium-ion storage. Ultralong TiO2 nanowires are synthesized and used to construct an interconnecting network that avoids the use of inert auxiliary additives of polymer binders and conductive agents. By thermal annealing, a small amount of anatase is generated in situ in the TiO2(B) nanowires to form abundant TiO2(B)/anatase interfaces for accommodating additional lithium ions. Simultaneously, RGO sheets efficiently enhance the electronic conductivity and enlarge the specific surface area of the TiO2/RGO nanocomposite. The robust 3D network in the binder-free electrode not only effectively avoids the agglomeration of TiO2/RGO components during the long-term charging/discharging process, but also provides direct and fast ion/electron transport paths. The binder-free electrode exhibits a high reversible capacity of 259.9 mA h g-1 at 0.1 C and an excellent cycling performance with a high reversible capacity of 111.9 mA h g-1 at 25 C after 5000 cycles.

Enhanced thermoelectric properties in bulk nanowire heterostructure-based nanocomposites through minority carrier blocking.

PubMed

Yang, Haoran; Bahk, Je-Hyeong; Day, Tristan; Mohammed, Amr M S; Snyder, G Jeffrey; Shakouri, Ali; Wu, Yue

2015-02-11

To design superior thermoelectric materials the minority carrier blocking effect in which the unwanted bipolar transport is prevented by the interfacial energy barriers in the heterogeneous nanostructures has been theoretically proposed recently. The theory predicts an enhanced power factor and a reduced bipolar thermal conductivity for materials with a relatively low doping level, which could lead to an improvement in the thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT). Here we show the first experimental demonstration of the minority carrier blocking in lead telluride-silver telluride (PbTe-Ag2Te) nanowire heterostructure-based nanocomposites. The nanocomposites are made by sintering PbTe-Ag2Te nanowire heterostructures produced in a highly scalable solution-phase synthesis. Compared with Ag2Te nanowire-based nanocomposite produced in similar method, the PbTe-Ag2Te nanocomposite containing ∼5 atomic % PbTe exhibits enhanced Seebeck coefficient, reduced thermal conductivity, and ∼40% improved ZT, which can be well explained by the theoretical modeling based on the Boltzmann transport equations when energy barriers for both electrons and holes at the heterostructure interfaces are considered in the calculations. For this p-type PbTe-Ag2Te nanocomposite, the barriers for electrons, that is, minority carriers, are primarily responsible for the ZT enhancement. By extending this approach to other nanostructured systems, it represents a key step toward low-cost solution-processable nanomaterials without heavy doping level for high-performance thermoelectric energy harvesting.

NiMn layered double hydroxide nanosheets/NiCo2O4 nanowires with surface rich high valence state metal oxide as an efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Liting; Chen, Lin; Yang, Dawen; Yu, Xu; Xue, Huaiguo; Feng, Ligang

2018-07-01

High valence transition metal oxide is significant for anode catalyst of proton membrane water electrolysis technique. Herein, we demonstrate NiMn layered double hydroxide nanosheets/NiCo2O4 nanowires hierarchical nanocomposite catalyst with surface rich high valence metal oxide as an efficient catalyst for oxygen evolution reaction. A low overpotential of 310 mV is needed to drive a 10 mA cm-2 with a Tafel slope of 99 mV dec-1, and a remarkable stability during 8 h is demonstrated in a chronoamperometry test. Theoretical calculation displays the change in the rate-determining step on the nanocomposite electrode in comparison to NiCo2O4 nanowires alone. It is found high valence Ni and Mn oxide in the catalyst system can efficiently facilitate the charge transport across the electrode/electrolyte interface. The enhanced electrical conductivity, more accessible active sites and synergistic effects between NiMn layered double hydroxide nanosheets and NiCo2O4 nanowires can account for the excellent oxygen evolution reaction. The catalytic performance is comparable to most of the best non-noble catalysts and IrO2 noble catalyst, indicating the promising applications in water-splitting technology. It is an important step in the development of hierarchical nanocomposites by surface valence state tuning as an alternative to noble metals for oxygen evolution reaction.

Stable and High Piezoelectric Output of GaN Nanowire-Based Lead-Free Piezoelectric Nanogenerator by Suppression of Internal Screening.

PubMed

Johar, Muhammad Ali; Hassan, Mostafa Afifi; Waseem, Aadil; Ha, Jun-Seok; Lee, June Key; Ryu, Sang-Wan

2018-06-14

A piezoelectric nanogenerator (PNG) that is based on c-axis GaN nanowires is fabricated on flexible substrate. In this regard, c-axis GaN nanowires were grown on GaN substrate using the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) technique by metal organic chemical vapor deposition. Further, Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was coated on nanowire-arrays then PDMS matrix embedded with GaN nanowire-arrays was transferred on Si-rubber substrate. The piezoelectric performance of nanowire-based flexible PNG was measured, while the device was actuated using a cyclic stretching-releasing agitation mechanism that was driven by a linear motor. The piezoelectric output was measured as a function of actuation frequency ranging from 1 Hz to 10 Hz and a linear tendency was observed for piezoelectric output current, while the output voltages remained constant. A maximum of piezoelectric open circuit voltages and short circuit current were measured 15.4 V and 85.6 nA, respectively. In order to evaluate the feasibility of our flexible PNG for real application, a long term stability test was performed for 20,000 cycles and the device performance was degraded by less than 18%. The underlying reason for the high piezoelectric output was attributed to the reduced free carriers inside nanowires due to surface Fermi-level pinning and insulating metal-dielectric-semiconductor interface, respectively; the former reduced the free carrier screening radially while latter reduced longitudinally. The flexibility and the high aspect ratio of GaN nanowire were the responsible factors for higher stability. Such higher piezoelectric output and the novel design make our device more promising for the diverse range of real applications.

Atomistic Insights Into the Oriented Attachment of Tunnel-Based Oxide Nanostructures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yuan, Yifei; Wood, Stephen M; He, Kun

Controlled synthesis of nanomaterials is one of the grand challenges facing materials scientists. In particular, how tunnel-based nanomaterials aggregate during synthesis while maintaining their well-aligned tunneled structure is not fully understood. Here, we describe the atomistic mechanism of oriented attachment (OA) during solution synthesis of tunneled α-MnO2 nanowires based on a combination of in situ liquid cell transmission electron microscopy (TEM), aberration-corrected scanning TEM with subangstrom spatial resolution, and first-principles calculations. It is found that primary tunnels (1 × 1 and 2 × 2) attach along their common {110} lateral surfaces to form interfaces corresponding to 2 × 3 tunnelsmore » that facilitate their short-range ordering. The OA growth of α-MnO2 nanowires is driven by the stability gained from elimination of {110} surfaces and saturation of Mn atoms at {110}-edges. During this process, extra [MnOx] radicals in solution link the two adjacent {110} surfaces and bond with the unsaturated Mn atoms from both surface edges to produce stable nanowire interfaces. Our results provide insights into the controlled synthesis and design of nanomaterials in which tunneled structures can be tailored for use in catalysis, ion exchange, and energy storage applications.« less

Fabrication and characterization of active nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Opondo, Noah F.

Three different nanostructure active devices have been designed, fabricated and characterized. Junctionless transistors based on highly-doped silicon nanowires fabricated using a bottom-up fabrication approach are first discussed. The fabrication avoids the ion implantation step since silicon nanowires are doped in-situ during growth. Germanium junctionless transistors fabricated with a top down approach starting from a germanium on insulator substrate and using a gate stack of high-k dielectrics and GeO2 are also presented. The levels and origin of low-frequency noise in junctionless transistor devices fabricated from silicon nanowires and also from GeOI devices are reported. Low-frequency noise is an indicator of the quality of the material, hence its characterization can reveal the quality and perhaps reliability of fabricated transistors. A novel method based on low-frequency noise measurement to envisage trap density in the semiconductor bandgap near the semiconductor/oxide interface of nanoscale silicon junctionless transistors (JLTs) is presented. Low-frequency noise characterization of JLTs biased in saturation is conducted at different gate biases. The noise spectrum indicates either a Lorentzian or 1/f. A simple analysis of the low-frequency noise data leads to the density of traps and their energy within the semiconductor bandgap. The level of noise in silicon JLT devices is lower than reported values on transistors fabricated using a top-down approach. This noise level can be significantly improved by improving the quality of dielectric and the channel interface. A micro-vacuum electron device based on silicon field emitters for cold cathode emission is also presented. The presented work utilizes vertical Si nanowires fabricated by means of self-assembly, standard lithography and etching techniques as field emitters in this dissertation. To obtain a high nanowire density, hence a high current density, a simple and inexpensive Langmuir Blodgett technique to deposit silica nanoparticles as a mask to etch Si is adopted. Fabrication and characterization of a metal-gated microtriode with a high current density and low operating voltage are presented.

Texturing Silicon Nanowires for Highly Localized Optical Modulation of Cellular Dynamics.

PubMed

Fang, Yin; Jiang, Yuanwen; Acaron Ledesma, Hector; Yi, Jaeseok; Gao, Xiang; Weiss, Dara E; Shi, Fengyuan; Tian, Bozhi

2018-06-18

Engineered silicon-based materials can display photoelectric and photothermal responses under light illumination, which may lead to further innovations at the silicon-biology interfaces. Silicon nanowires have small radial dimensions, promising as highly localized cellular modulators, however the single crystalline form typically has limited photothermal efficacy due to the poor light absorption and fast heat dissipation. In this work, we report strategies to improve the photothermal response from silicon nanowires by introducing nanoscale textures on the surface and in the bulk. We next demonstrate high-resolution extracellular modulation of calcium dynamics in a number of mammalian cells including glial cells, neurons, and cancer cells. The new materials may be broadly used in probing and modulating electrical and chemical signals at the subcellular length scale, which is currently a challenge in the field of electrophysiology or cellular engineering.

A Hierarchical Phosphorus Nanobarbed Nanowire Hybrid: Its Structure and Electrochemical Properties.

PubMed

Zhao, Dan; Li, Beibei; Zhang, Jinying; Li, Xin; Xiao, Dingbin; Fu, Chengcheng; Zhang, Lihui; Li, Zhihui; Li, Jun; Cao, Daxian; Niu, Chunming

2017-06-14

Nanostructured phosphorus-carbon composites are promising materials for Li-ion and Na-ion battery anodes. A hierarchical phosphorus hybrid, SiC@graphene@P, has been synthesized by the chemical vapor deposition of phosphorus on the surfaces of barbed nanowires, where the barbs are vertically grown graphene nanosheets and the cores are SiC nanowires. A temperature-gradient vaporization-condensation method has been used to remove the unhybridized phosphorus particles formed by homogeneous nucleation. The vertically grown barb shaped graphene nanosheets and a high concentration of edge carbon atoms induced a fibrous red phosphorus (f-RP) growth with its {001} planes in parallel to {002} planes of nanographene sheets and led to a strong interpenetrated interface interaction between phosphorus and the surfaces of graphene nanosheets. This hybridization has been demonstrated to significantly enhance the electrochemical performances of phosphorus.

Semiconductor Nanowires and Nanotubes for Energy Conversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fardy, Melissa Anne

In recent years semiconductor nanowires and nanotubes have garnered increased attention for their unique properties. With their nanoscale dimensions comes high surface area and quantum confinement, promising enhancements in a wide range of applications. 1-dimensional nanostructures are especially attractive for energy conversion applications where photons, phonons, and electrons come into play. Since the bohr exciton radius and phonon and electron mean free paths are on the same length scales as nanowire diameters, optical, thermal, and electrical properties can be tuned by simple nanowire size adjustments. In addition, the high surface area inherent to nanowires and nanotubes lends them towards efficient charge separation and superior catalytic performance. In thermoelectric power generation, the nanoscale wire diameter can effectively scatter phonons, promoting reductions in thermal conductivity and enhancements in the thermoelectric figure of merit. To that end, single-crystalline arrays of PbS, PbSe, and PbTe nanowires have been synthesized by a chemical vapor transport approach. The electrical and thermal transport properties of the nanowires were characterized to investigate their potential as thermoelectric materials. Compared to bulk, the lead chalcogenide nanowires exhibit reduced thermal conductivity below 100 K by up to 3 orders of magnitude, suggesting that they may be promising thermoelectric materials. Smaller diameters and increased surface roughness are expected to give additional enhancements. The solution-phase synthesis of PbSe nanowires via oriented attachment of nanoparticles enables facile surface engineering and diameter control. Branched PbSe nanowires synthesized by this approach showed near degenerately doped charge carrier concentrations. Compared to the bulk, the PbSe nanowires exhibited a similar Seebeck coefficient and a significant reduction in thermal conductivity in the temperature range 20 K to 300 K. Thermal annealing of the PbSe nanowires allowed their thermoelectric properties to be controllably tuned by increasing their carrier concentration or hole mobility. After optimal annealing, single PbSe nanowires exhibited a thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) of 0.12 at 300 K. In addition, using a field-effect gated device, the Seebeck coefficient of single PbSe nanowires could be tuned from 64 to 193 muV˙K-1. This direct electrical field control of the electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient suggests a powerful strategy for optimizing ZT in thermoelectric devices and these results represent the first demonstration of field-effect modulation of the thermoelectric figure of merit in a single semiconductor nanowire. This novel strategy for thermoelectric property modulation could prove especially important in optimizing the thermoelectric properties of semiconductors where reproducible doping is difficult to achieve. Recent theoretical work has shown large enhancements in ZT for single-crystal nanowires containing nanoscale interfaces along their lengths. M2O3(ZnO) n ( M = In, Ga, Fe) superlattice nanowires were synthesized via a novel solid-state diffusion approach to investigate this possible enhancement. Using atomic resolution Z-contrast STEM imaging a detailed structural analysis was performed on In2-xGaxO3(ZnO) n nanowires, leading to the discovery that octahedral inclusions within the superlattice structure are likely generated through a defect-assisted process. Single-nanowire thermal and electrical measurements on In2-x GaxO3(ZnO)n reveal a simultaneous improvement in all contributing factors to the thermoelectric figure of merit, giving an order of magnitude enhancement over similar bulk materials at room temperature. This is the first report of enhancement of all three thermoelectric parameters (Seebeck coefficient, electrical conductivity, and thermal resistivity) for a nanowire system. Photoelectrochemical water splitting is another exciting renewable energy application that can benefit from the high surface area of nanomaterials. Recently, (Ga1-xZnx)(N1-xOx) has gained widespread attention as a high efficiency material for visible-light-driven H2 and O2 generation. To improve the crystallinity of the material and reduce charge recombination (Ga1-xZnx)(N 1-xOx) nanotubes were synthesized by epitaxial coating of GaN onto ZnO nanowires. The nanotubes were single-crystalline, solid solutions of GaN and ZnO with ZnO compositions up to 10% and bandgaps as low as 2.6 eV. Incorporation of In into these nanotubes pushed the absorption even further into the visible. After decoration with Rh2-yCryO3 nanoparticle cocatalysts, (Ga1-xZnx)(N1-xOx) nanotubes spontaneously generated H2 in aqueous solutions under illumination. The photoanodic properties of these nanotubes are still under investigation. The significant reductions in thermal conductivity achieved using lead chalcogenide and In2-xGaxO3(ZnO) n nanowires highlight their use in thermoelectric power generation. The promise of 1-dimensional materials for energy conversion is further evident in the superior crystalline quality and high surface areas of the (Ga 1-xZnx)(N1-xOx) nanotubes. As research continues along these direction we move ever closer toward implementation of nanowires and nanotubes for clean, renewable, and more efficient energy use.

Bulk nucleation and growth of inorganic nanowires and nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, Shashank

The nanometer scale materials such as nanowires and nanotubes will be of particular interest as building blocks for designing novel sensors, catalysts, electronic, optical, and optoelectronic devices. However, in order to realize these applications, bulk amounts of nanowires and nanotubes need to be synthesized with precise control over the nanostructure characteristics. In addition, the structure-property relationships for one-dimensional structures are expected to be different than their bulk when their diameters are less than a characteristic Bohr exciton radius. This fundamental curiosity also necessitates bulk synthesis of nanostructures. The current bulk nanowire synthesis methods utilize either nanometer scale porous molds or nanometer scale transition metal clusters to template one-dimensional growth. All these techniques have inherent limitations in terms of control over the nanowire diameter distribution, composition, the growth direction, and the ability to generate abrupt interfaces within individual nanowires. In this dissertation, a new concept for bulk nucleation and growth of one-dimensional nanostructures is proposed and demonstrated for a variety of inorganic material systems. In this technique, multiple nanowires nucleate and grow from pools of low-melting metal melts when exposed to an activated gas phase containing the necessary precursors. This concept, hereby termed Low Melting Metals and Activated Gas phase (LMAG) mediated method, is specifically demonstrated for the synthesis of, (a) silicon nanowires grown using molten gallium and silane precursors; (b) silicon compound nanowires using solution of molten gallium and appropriate gas phase precursors, and (c) metal-oxide nanostructures grown using direct reaction of the respective metal melts and oxygen precursors. Nanowires resulted from the same molten gallium pool at high densities (>1011/cm2) and with narrow diameter distribution. The silicon nanowires synthesized using the LMAG technique were single crystalline, defect free, and contained a non uniform, extremely thin oxide sheath (<1.5 nm). The nanowire diameter could be varied from 3 to 100 nm, with lengths up to hundreds of microns. Unique tubular and paintbrush-like morphologies were obtained in gallium oxide (Ga2O3) nanostructures. Small gallium droplets (<100 nm size) allowed Ga2O3 nanowire growth parallel to the substrate, followed by 2-dimensional nanoweb formation. These experiments using small gallium droplets resulted in the growth of crystalline Ga2O3 nanotubes with outer diameters as small as 5 nm and inner diameters as small as 2.5 nm.

Preparation and Use of Photocatalytically Active Segmented Ag|ZnO and Coaxial TiO2-Ag Nanowires Made by Templated Electrodeposition

PubMed Central

Maijenburg, A. Wouter; Rodijk, Eddy J.B.; Maas, Michiel G.; ten Elshof, Johan E.

2014-01-01

Photocatalytically active nanostructures require a large specific surface area with the presence of many catalytically active sites for the oxidation and reduction half reactions, and fast electron (hole) diffusion and charge separation. Nanowires present suitable architectures to meet these requirements. Axially segmented Ag|ZnO and radially segmented (coaxial) TiO2-Ag nanowires with a diameter of 200 nm and a length of 6-20 µm were made by templated electrodeposition within the pores of polycarbonate track-etched (PCTE) or anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes, respectively. In the photocatalytic experiments, the ZnO and TiO2 phases acted as photoanodes, and Ag as cathode. No external circuit is needed to connect both electrodes, which is a key advantage over conventional photo-electrochemical cells. For making segmented Ag|ZnO nanowires, the Ag salt electrolyte was replaced after formation of the Ag segment to form a ZnO segment attached to the Ag segment. For making coaxial TiO2-Ag nanowires, a TiO2 gel was first formed by the electrochemically induced sol-gel method. Drying and thermal annealing of the as-formed TiO2 gel resulted in the formation of crystalline TiO2 nanotubes. A subsequent Ag electrodeposition step inside the TiO2 nanotubes resulted in formation of coaxial TiO2-Ag nanowires. Due to the combination of an n-type semiconductor (ZnO or TiO2) and a metal (Ag) within the same nanowire, a Schottky barrier was created at the interface between the phases. To demonstrate the photocatalytic activity of these nanowires, the Ag|ZnO nanowires were used in a photocatalytic experiment in which H2 gas was detected upon UV illumination of the nanowires dispersed in a methanol/water mixture. After 17 min of illumination, approximately 0.2 vol% H2 gas was detected from a suspension of ~0.1 g of Ag|ZnO nanowires in a 50 ml 80 vol% aqueous methanol solution. PMID:24837535

Simplifying Nanowire Hall Effect Characterization by Using a Three-Probe Device Design.

PubMed

Hultin, Olof; Otnes, Gaute; Samuelson, Lars; Storm, Kristian

2017-02-08

Electrical characterization of nanowires is a time-consuming and challenging task due to the complexity of single nanowire device fabrication and the difficulty in interpreting the measurements. We present a method to measure Hall effect in nanowires using a three-probe device that is simpler to fabricate than previous four-probe nanowire Hall devices and allows characterization of nanowires with smaller diameter. Extraction of charge carrier concentration from the three-probe measurements using an analytical model is discussed and compared to simulations. The validity of the method is experimentally verified by a comparison between results obtained with the three-probe method and results obtained using four-probe nanowire Hall measurements. In addition, a nanowire with a diameter of only 65 nm is characterized to demonstrate the capabilities of the method. The three-probe Hall effect method offers a relatively fast and simple, yet accurate way to quantify the charge carrier concentration in nanowires and has the potential to become a standard characterization technique for nanowires.

Photovoltaic devices based on quantum dot functionalized nanowire arrays embedded in an organic matrix

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kung, Patrick; Harris, Nicholas; Shen, Gang; Wilbert, David S.; Baughman, William; Balci, Soner; Dawahre, Nabil; Butler, Lee; Rivera, Elmer; Nikles, David; Kim, Seongsin M.

2012-01-01

Quantum dot (QD) functionalized nanowire arrays are attractive structures for low cost high efficiency solar cells. QDs have the potential for higher quantum efficiency, increased stability and lifetime compared to traditional dyes, as well as the potential for multiple electron generation per photon. Nanowire array scaffolds constitute efficient, low resistance electron transport pathways which minimize the hopping mechanism in the charge transport process of quantum dot solar cells. However, the use of liquid electrolytes as a hole transport medium within such scaffold device structures have led to significant degradation of the QDs. In this work, we first present the synthesis uniform single crystalline ZnO nanowire arrays and their functionalization with InP/ZnS core-shell quantum dots. The structures are characterized using electron microscopy, optical absorption, photoluminescence and Raman spectroscopy. Complementing photoluminescence, transmission electron microanalysis is used to reveal the successful QD attachment process and the atomistic interface between the ZnO and the QD. Energy dispersive spectroscopy reveals the co-localized presence of indium, phosphorus, and sulphur, suggestive of the core-shell nature of the QDs. The functionalized nanowire arrays are subsequently embedded in a poly-3(hexylthiophene) hole transport matrix with a high degree of polymer infiltration to complete the device structure prior to measurement.

Surface Passivation of GaN Nanowires for Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Water-Splitting.

PubMed

Varadhan, Purushothaman; Fu, Hui-Chun; Priante, Davide; Retamal, Jose Ramon Duran; Zhao, Chao; Ebaid, Mohamed; Ng, Tien Khee; Ajia, Idirs; Mitra, Somak; Roqan, Iman S; Ooi, Boon S; He, Jr-Hau

2017-03-08

Hydrogen production via photoelectrochemical water-splitting is a key source of clean and sustainable energy. The use of one-dimensional nanostructures as photoelectrodes is desirable for photoelectrochemical water-splitting applications due to the ultralarge surface areas, lateral carrier extraction schemes, and superior light-harvesting capabilities. However, the unavoidable surface states of nanostructured materials create additional charge carrier trapping centers and energy barriers at the semiconductor-electrolyte interface, which severely reduce the solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency. In this work, we address the issue of surface states in GaN nanowire photoelectrodes by employing a simple and low-cost surface treatment method, which utilizes an organic thiol compound (i.e., 1,2-ethanedithiol). The surface-treated photocathode showed an enhanced photocurrent density of -31 mA/cm 2 at -0.2 V versus RHE with an incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency of 18.3%, whereas untreated nanowires yielded only 8.1% efficiency. Furthermore, the surface passivation provides enhanced photoelectrochemical stability as surface-treated nanowires retained ∼80% of their initial photocurrent value and produced 8000 μmol of gas molecules over 55 h at acidic conditions (pH ∼ 0), whereas the untreated nanowires demonstrated only <4 h of photoelectrochemical stability. These findings shed new light on the importance of surface passivation of nanostructured photoelectrodes for photoelectrochemical applications.

Enhanced giant magnetoimpedance in heterogeneous nanobrush

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

A highly sensitive and large working range giant magnetoimpedance (GMI) effect is found in the novel nanostructure: nanobrush. The nanostructure is composed of a soft magnetic nanofilm and a nanowire array, respectively fabricated by RF magnetron sputtering and electrochemical deposition. The optimal GMI ratio of nanobrush is promoted to more than 250%, higher than the pure FeNi film and some sandwich structures at low frequency. The design of this structure is based on the vortex distribution of magnetic moments in thin film, and it can be induced by the exchange coupling effect between the interfaces of nanobrush. PMID:22963551

Thermal Conduction in Vertically Aligned Copper Nanowire Arrays and Composites.

PubMed

Barako, Michael T; Roy-Panzer, Shilpi; English, Timothy S; Kodama, Takashi; Asheghi, Mehdi; Kenny, Thomas W; Goodson, Kenneth E

2015-09-02

The ability to efficiently and reliably transfer heat between sources and sinks is often a bottleneck in the thermal management of modern energy conversion technologies ranging from microelectronics to thermoelectric power generation. These interfaces contribute parasitic thermal resistances that reduce device performance and are subjected to thermomechanical stresses that degrade device lifetime. Dense arrays of vertically aligned metal nanowires (NWs) offer the unique combination of thermal conductance from the constituent metal and mechanical compliance from the high aspect ratio geometry to increase interfacial heat transfer and device reliability. In the present work, we synthesize copper NW arrays directly onto substrates via templated electrodeposition and extend this technique through the use of a sacrificial overplating layer to achieve improved uniformity. Furthermore, we infiltrate the array with an organic phase change material and demonstrate the preservation of thermal properties. We use the 3ω method to measure the axial thermal conductivity of freestanding copper NW arrays to be as high as 70 W m(-1) K(-1), which is more than an order of magnitude larger than most commercial interface materials and enhanced-conductivity nanocomposites reported in the literature. These arrays are highly anisotropic, and the lateral thermal conductivity is found to be only 1-2 W m(-1) K(-1). We use these measured properties to elucidate the governing array-scale transport mechanisms, which include the effects of morphology and energy carrier scattering from size effects and grain boundaries.

Ab-initio study of the segregation and electronic properties of neutral and charged B and P dopants in Si and Si/SiO{sub 2} nanowires

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schoeters, Bob, E-mail: bob.schoeters@uantwerpen.be; IMEC, Kapeldreef 75, B-3001 Leuven; Leenaerts, Ortwin, E-mail: ortwin.leenaerts@uantwerpen.be

We perform first-principles calculations to investigate the preferred positions of B and P dopants, both neutral and in their preferred charge state, in Si and Si/SiO{sub 2} core-shell nanowires (NWs). In order to understand the observed trends in the formation energy, we isolate the different effects that determine these formation energies. By making the distinction between the unrelaxed and the relaxed formation energy, we separate the impact of the relaxation from that of the chemical environment. The unrelaxed formation energies are determined by three effects: (i) the effect of strain caused by size mismatch between the dopant and the hostmore » atoms, (ii) the local position of the band edges, and (iii) a screening effect. In the case of the SiNW (Si/SiO{sub 2} NW), these effects result in an increase of the formation energy away from the center (interface). The effect of relaxation depends on the relative size mismatch between the dopant and host atoms. A large size mismatch causes substantial relaxation that reduces the formation energy considerably, with the relaxation being more pronounced towards the edge of the wires. These effects explain the surface segregation of the B dopants in a SiNW, since the atomic relaxation induces a continuous drop of the formation energy towards the edge. However, for the P dopants, the formation energy starts to rise when moving from the center but drops to a minimum just next to the surface, indicating a different type of behavior. It also explains that the preferential location for B dopants in Si/SiO{sub 2} core-shell NWs is inside the oxide shell just next to the interface, whereas the P dopants prefer the positions next to the interface inside the Si core, which is in agreement with recent experiments. These preferred locations have an important impact on the electronic properties of these core-shell NWs. Our simulations indicate the possibility of hole gas formation when B segregates into the oxide shell.« less

Synthesis and characterization of silicon nanowire arrays for photovoltaic applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eichfeld, Sarah M.

The overall objective of this thesis was the development of processes for the fabrication of radial p-n silicon nanowires (SiNWs) using bottom-up nanowire growth techniques on silicon and glass substrates. Vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) growth was carried out on Si(111) substrates using SiCl4 as the silicon precursor. Growth conditions including temperature, PSiCl4, PH2, and position were investigated to determine the optimum growth conditions for epitaxially oriented silicon nanowire arrays. The experiments revealed that the growth rate of the silicon nanowires exhibits a maximum as a function of PSiCl4 and P H2. Gas phase equilibrium calculations were used in conjunction with a mass transport model to explain the experimental data. The modeling results demonstrate a similar maximum in the mass of solid silicon predicted to form as a function of PSiCl4 and PH2, which results from a change in the gas phase concentration of SiHxCly and SiClx species. This results in a shift in the process from growth to etching with increasing PSiCl4. In general, for the atmospheric pressure conditions employed in this study, growth at higher temperatures >1000°C and higher SiCl4 concentrations gave the best results. The growth of silicon nanowire arrays on anodized alumina (AAO)-coated glass substrates was also investigated. Glass will not hold up to the high temperatures required for Si nanowire growth with SiCl4 so SiH 4 was used as the Si precursor instead. Initial studies were carried out to measure the resistivity of p-type and n-type silicon nanowires grown in freestanding AAO membranes. A series of nanowire samples were grown in which the doping and the nanowire length inside the membrane were varied. Circular metal contacts were deposited on the top surface of the membranes and the resistance of the nanowire arrays was measured. The measured resistance versus nanowire length was plotted and the nanowire resistivity was extracted from the slope. The resistivity of the silicon nanowires grown in the AAO membranes was then compared to the resistivity of silicon nanowires grown on Si and measured using single wire four-point measurements. It was determined that the undoped silicon nanowires grown in AAO have a lower resistivity compared to nanowires grown on Si substrates. This indicates the presence of an unintentional acceptor. The resistivity of the silicon nanowires was found to change as the dopant/SiH4 ratio was varied during growth. The growth and doping conditions developed from this study were then used to fabricate p-type SiNW arrays on the AAO coated glass substrates. The final investigation in this thesis focused on the development of a process for radial coating of an n-type Si layer on the p-type Si nanowires. While prior studies demonstrated the fabrication of polycrystalline n-type Si shell layers on Si nanowires, an epitaxial n-type Si shell layer is ultimately of interest to obtain a high quality p-n interface. Initial n-type Si thin film deposition studies were carried out on sapphire substrates using SiH 4 as the silicon precursor to investigate the effect of growth conditions on thickness uniformity, growth rate and doping level. High growth temperatures (>900°C) are generally desired for achieving epitaxial growth; however, gas phase depletion of the SiH4 source along the length of the reactor resulted in poor thickness uniformity. To improve the uniformity, the substrate was shifted closer to the gas inlet at higher temperatures (950°C) and the total flow of gas through the reactor was increased to 200 sccm. A series of n-type doping experiments were also carried out. Hall measurements indicated n-type behavior and four-point measurements yielded a change in resistivity based on the PH3/SiH4 ratio. Pre-coating sample preparation was determined to be important for achieving a high quality Si shell layer. Since Au can diffuse down the sides of the nanowire during sample cooldown after growth, the Au tips were etched away prior to shell layer deposition. The effect of deposition temperature on the structural properties of the shell layer deposited on the VLS grown SiNWs was investigated. TEM revealed that the n-type Si shells were polycrystalline at low temperatures (650°C) but were single crystal at 950°C. SiNW samples grown on glass were also coated; however, due to the temperature constraints, the maximum temperature used was 650°C and therefore the n-type Si shells were polycrystalline. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Quantum-confinement effects on conduction band structure of rectangular cross-sectional GaAs nanowires

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tanaka, H., E-mail: tanaka@semicon.kuee.kyoto-u.ac.jp; Morioka, N.; Mori, S.

2014-02-07

The conduction band structure and electron effective mass of GaAs nanowires with various cross-sectional shapes and orientations were calculated by two methods, a tight-binding method and an effective mass equation taking the bulk full-band structure into account. The effective mass of nanowires increases as the cross-sectional size decreases, and this increase in effective mass depends on the orientations and substrate faces of nanowires. Among [001], [110], and [111]-oriented rectangular cross-sectional GaAs nanowires, [110]-oriented nanowires with wider width along the [001] direction showed the lightest effective mass. This dependence originates from the anisotropy of the Γ valley of bulk GaAs. Themore » relationship between effective mass and bulk band structure is discussed.« less

Structural stability of characteristic interface for NiTi/Nb Nanowire: First-Principle study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, G. F.; Zheng, H. Z.; Shu, X. Y.; Peng, P.

2016-01-01

Compared with some other conventional interface models, the interface of NiTi(211)/Nb(220) in NiTiNb metal nanocomposite had been simulated and analyzed carefully. Results show that only several interface models, i.e., NiTi(100)/Nb(100)(Ni⃡Nb), NiTi(110)/Nb(110) and NiTi(211)/Nb(220), can be formed accordingly with their negative formation enthalpy. Therein the cohesive energy Δ E and Griffith rupture work W of NiTi(211)/Nb(220) interface model are the lowest among them. Density of states shows that there exists only one electronic bonding peak for NiTi(211)/Nb(220) interface model at -2.5 eV. Electron density difference of NiTi(211)/ Nb(220) shows that the Nb-Nb, Nb-Ti and Nb-Ni bonding characters seem like so peaceful as a fabric twisting every atom, which is different from conventional metallic bonding performance. Such appearance can be deduced that the metallic bonding between Nb-Nb, Nb-Ti and Nb-Ni in NiTi(211)/Nb(220) may be affected by its nanostructure called nanometer size effect. Thus, our findings open an avenue for detailed and comprehensive studies of nanocomposite.

Critical Role of Diels-Adler Adducts to Realise Stretchable Transparent Electrodes Based on Silver Nanowires and Silicone Elastomer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heo, Gaeun; Pyo, Kyoung-Hee; Lee, Da Hee; Kim, Youngmin; Kim, Jong-Woong

2016-05-01

This paper presents the successful fabrication of a transparent electrode comprising a sandwich structure of silicone/Ag nanowires (AgNWs)/silicone equipped with Diels-Alder (DA) adducts as crosslinkers to realise highly stable stretchability. Because of the reversible DA reaction, the crosslinked silicone successfully bonds with the silicone overcoat, which should completely seal the electrode. Thus, any surrounding liquid cannot leak through the interfaces among the constituents. Furthermore, the nanowires are protected by the silicone cover when they are stressed by mechanical loads such as bending, folding, and stretching. After delicate optimisation of the layered silicone/AgNW/silicone sandwich structure, a stretchable transparent electrode which can withstand 1000 cycles of 50% stretching-releasing with an exceptionally high stability and reversibility was fabricated. This structure can be used as a transparent strain sensor; it possesses a strong piezoresistivity with a gauge factor greater than 11.

Significantly enhanced visible light response in single TiO2 nanowire by nitrogen ion implantation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Pengcheng; Song, Xianyin; Si, Shuyao; Ke, Zunjian; Cheng, Li; Li, Wenqing; Xiao, Xiangheng; Jiang, Changzhong

2018-05-01

The metal-oxide semiconductor TiO2 shows enormous potential in the field of photoelectric detection; however, UV-light absorption only restricts its widespread application. It is considered that nitrogen doping can improve the visible light absorption of TiO2, but the effect of traditional chemical doping is far from being used for visible light detection. Herein, we dramatically broadened the absorption spectrum of the TiO2 nanowire (NW) by nitrogen ion implantation and apply the N-doped single TiO2 NW to visible light detection for the first time. Moreover, this novel strategy effectively modifies the surface states and thus regulates the height of Schottky barriers at the metal/semiconductor interface, which is crucial to realizing high responsivity and a fast response rate. Under the illumination of a laser with a wavelength of 457 nm, our fabricated photodetector exhibits favorable responsivity (8 A W-1) and a short response time (0.5 s). These results indicate that ion implantation is a promising method in exploring the visible light detection of TiO2.

Black Phosphorus-Zinc Oxide Nanomaterial Heterojunction for p-n Diode and Junction Field-Effect Transistor.

PubMed

Jeon, Pyo Jin; Lee, Young Tack; Lim, June Yeong; Kim, Jin Sung; Hwang, Do Kyung; Im, Seongil

2016-02-10

Black phosphorus (BP) nanosheet is two-dimensional (2D) semiconductor with distinct band gap and attracting recent attention from researches because it has some similarity to gapless 2D semiconductor graphene in the following two aspects: single element (P) for its composition and quite high mobilities depending on its fabrication conditions. Apart from several electronic applications reported with BP nanosheet, here we report for the first time BP nanosheet-ZnO nanowire 2D-1D heterojunction applications for p-n diodes and BP-gated junction field effect transistors (JFETs) with n-ZnO channel on glass. For these nanodevices, we take advantages of the mechanical flexibility of p-type conducting of BP and van der Waals junction interface between BP and ZnO. As a result, our BP-ZnO nanodimension p-n diode displays a high ON/OFF ratio of ∼10(4) in static rectification and shows kilohertz dynamic rectification as well while ZnO nanowire channel JFET operations are nicely demonstrated by BP gate switching in both electrostatics and kilohertz dynamics.

Significantly enhanced visible light response in single TiO2 nanowire by nitrogen ion implantation.

PubMed

Wu, Pengcheng; Song, Xianyin; Si, Shuyao; Ke, Zunjian; Cheng, Li; Li, Wenqing; Xiao, Xiangheng; Jiang, Changzhong

2018-05-04

The metal-oxide semiconductor TiO 2 shows enormous potential in the field of photoelectric detection; however, UV-light absorption only restricts its widespread application. It is considered that nitrogen doping can improve the visible light absorption of TiO 2 , but the effect of traditional chemical doping is far from being used for visible light detection. Herein, we dramatically broadened the absorption spectrum of the TiO 2 nanowire (NW) by nitrogen ion implantation and apply the N-doped single TiO 2 NW to visible light detection for the first time. Moreover, this novel strategy effectively modifies the surface states and thus regulates the height of Schottky barriers at the metal/semiconductor interface, which is crucial to realizing high responsivity and a fast response rate. Under the illumination of a laser with a wavelength of 457 nm, our fabricated photodetector exhibits favorable responsivity (8 A W -1 ) and a short response time (0.5 s). These results indicate that ion implantation is a promising method in exploring the visible light detection of TiO 2 .

Aqueous Phase Synthesis and Enhanced Field Emission Properties of ZnO-Sulfide Heterojunction Nanowires

PubMed Central

Wang, Guojing; Li, Zhengcao; Li, Mingyang; Chen, Chienhua; Lv, Shasha; Liao, Jiecui

2016-01-01

ZnO-CdS, ZnO-ZnS, and ZnO-Ag2S core-shell heterojunction structures were fabricated using low-temperature, facile and simple aqueous solution approaches. The polycrystalline sulfide shells effectively enhance the field emission (FE) properties of ZnO nanowires arrays (NWAs). This results from the formation of the staggered gap heterointerface (ZnO-sulfide) which could lead to an energy well at the interfaces. Hence, electrons can be collected when an electric field is applied. It is observed that ZnO-ZnS NWAs have the lowest turn-on field (3.0 Vμm−1), compared with ZnO-CdS NWAs (6.3 Vμm−1) and ZnO-Ag2S NWAs (5.0 Vμm−1). This may be associated with the pyramid-like ZnS shell which increases the number of emission nanotips. Moreover, the Fowler-Nordheim (F-N) plot displays a nonlinear relationship in the low and high electric field regions caused by the double well potential effect of the heterojunction structures. PMID:27387653

Transport properties of Sb-doped Si nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nukala, Prathyusha; Sapkota, Gopal; Gali, Pradeep; Philipose, U.

2012-08-01

We present a safe and cost-effective approach for synthesis of n-type Sb-doped Si nanowires. The nanowires were synthesized at ambient pressure using SiCl4 as Si source and pure Sb as the dopant source. Structural and compositional characterization using electron microscopy and X-ray spectroscopy show crystalline nanowires with lengths of 30-40 μm and diameters of 40-100 nm. A 3-4 nm thick amorphous oxide shell covers the surface of the nanowire, post-growth. The composition of this shell was confirmed by Raman spectroscopy. Growth of Si nanowires, followed by low temperature annealing in Sb vapor, was shown to be an effective technique for synthesizing Sb-doped Si nanowires. The doping concentration of Sb was found to be dependent on temperature, with Sb re-evaporating from the Si nanowire at higher doping temperatures. Field effect transistors (FETs) were fabricated to investigate the electrical transport properties of these nanowires. The as-grown Si nanowires were found to be p-type with a channel mobility of 40 cm2 V-1 s-1. After doping with Sb, these nanowires exhibited n-type behavior. The channel mobility and carrier concentration of the Sb-doped Si nanowires were estimated to be 288 cm2 V-1 s-1 and 5.3×1018 cm-3 respectively.

Highly effective field-effect mobility amorphous InGaZnO TFT mediated by directional silver nanowire arrays.

PubMed

Liu, Hung-Chuan; Lai, Yi-Chun; Lai, Chih-Chung; Wu, Bing-Shu; Zan, Hsiao-Wen; Yu, Peichen; Chueh, Yu-Lun; Tsai, Chuang-Chuang

2015-01-14

In this work, we demonstrate sputtered amorphous indium-gallium-zinc oxide thin-film transistors (a-IGZO TFTs) with a record high effective field-effect mobility of 174 cm(2)/V s by incorporating silver nanowire (AgNW) arrays to channel electron transport. Compared to the reference counterpart without nanowires, the over 5-fold enhancement in the effective field-effect mobility exhibits clear dependence on the orientation as well as the surface coverage ratio of silver nanowires. Detailed material and device analyses reveal that during the room-temperature IGZO sputtering indium and oxygen diffuse into the nanowire matrix while the nanowire morphology and good contact between IGZO and nanowires are maintained. The unchanged morphology and good interfacial contact lead to high mobility and air-ambient-stable characteristics up to 3 months. Neither hysteresis nor degraded bias stress reliability is observed. The proposed AgNW-mediated a-IGZO TFTs are promising for development of large-scale, flexible, transparent electronics.

Photoelectrochemistry of III-V epitaxial layers and nanowires for solar energy conversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parameshwaran, Vijay; Enck, Ryan; Chung, Roy; Kelley, Stephen; Sampath, Anand; Reed, Meredith; Xu, Xiaoqing; Clemens, Bruce

2017-05-01

III-V materials, which exhibit high absorption coefficients and charge carrier mobility, are ideal templates for solar energy conversion applications. This work describes the photoelectrochemistry research in several IIIV/electrolyte junctions as an enabler for device design for solar chemical reactions. By designing lattice-matched epitaxial growth of InGaP and GaP on GaAs and Si, respectively, extended depletion region electrodes achieve photovoltages which provide an additional boost to the underlying substrate photovoltage. The InGaP/GaAs and GaP/Si electrodes drive hydrogen evolution currents under aqueous conditions. By using nanowires of InN and InP under carefully controlled growth conditions, current and capacitance measurements are obtained to reveal the nature of the nanowire-electrolyte interface and how light is translated into photocurrent for InP and a photovoltage in InN. The materials system is expanded into the III-V nitride semiconductors, in which it is shown that varying the morphology of GaN on silicon yields insights to how the interface and light conversion is modulated as a basis for future designs. Current extensions of this work address growth and tuning of the III-V nitride electrodes with doping and polarization engineering for efficient coupling to solar-driven chemical reactions, and rapid-throughput methods for III-V nanomaterials synthesis in this materials space.

Ultracompliant Heterogeneous Copper-Tin Nanowire Arrays Making a Supersolder.

PubMed

Gong, Wei; Li, Pengfei; Zhang, Yunheng; Feng, Xuhui; Major, Joshua; DeVoto, Douglas; Paret, Paul; King, Charles; Narumanchi, Sreekant; Shen, Sheng

2018-06-13

Due to the substantial increase in power density, thermal interface resistance that can constitute more than 50% of the total thermal resistance has generally become a bottleneck for thermal management in electronics. However, conventional thermal interface materials (TIMs) such as solder, epoxy, gel, and grease cannot fulfill the requirements of electronics for high-power and long-term operation. Here, we demonstrate a high-performance TIM consisting of a heterogeneous copper-tin nanowire array, which we term "supersolder" to emulate the role of conventional solders in bonding various surfaces. The supersolder is ultracompliant with a shear modulus 2-3 orders of magnitude lower than traditional solders and can reduce the thermal resistance by two times as compared with the state-of-the-art TIMs. This supersolder also exhibits excellent long-term reliability with >1200 thermal cycles over a wide temperature range. By resolving this critical thermal bottleneck, the supersolder enables electronic systems, ranging from microelectronics and portable electronics to massive data centers, to operate at lower temperatures with higher power density and reliability.

p-GaN/n-ZnO heterojunction nanowires: optoelectronic properties and the role of interface polarity.

PubMed

Schuster, Fabian; Laumer, Bernhard; Zamani, Reza R; Magén, Cesar; Morante, Joan Ramon; Arbiol, Jordi; Stutzmann, Martin

2014-05-27

In this work, simulations of the electronic band structure of a p-GaN/n-ZnO heterointerface are presented. In contrast to homojunctions, an additional energy barrier due to the type-II band alignment hinders the flow of majority charge carriers in this heterojunction. Spontaneous polarization and piezoelectricity are shown to additionally affect the band structure and the location of the recombination region. Proposed as potential UV-LEDs and laser diodes, p-GaN/n-ZnO heterojunction nanowires were fabricated by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PAMBE). Atomic resolution annular bright field scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) studies reveal an abrupt and defect-free heterointerface with a polarity inversion from N-polar GaN to Zn-polar ZnO. Photoluminescence measurements show strong excitonic UV emission originating from the ZnO-side of the interface as well as stimulated emission in the case of optical pumping above a threshold of 55 kW/cm(2).

Directional Charge Separation in Isolated Organic Semiconductor Crystalline Nanowires

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barnes, Michael; Labastide, Joelle; Bond-Thompson, Hilary

2017-03-01

In the conventional view of organic photovoltaics (OPV), localized electronic excitations (excitons) formed in the active layer are transported by random 3D diffusion to an interface where charge separation and extraction take place. Because radiative de-excitation is usually strongly allowed in organic semiconductors, efficient charge separation requires high exciton mobility, with much of the diffusive motion ‘wasted’ in directions that don’t result in an interface encounter. Our research efforts are focused on ways to enforce a preferred directionality in energy and/or charge transport using ordered crystalline nanowires in which the intermolecular interactions that facilitate transport along, for example, the pi-stackingmore » axis, can be made several orders of magnitude stronger than those in a transverse direction. The results presented in our recent work (Nature Communications) is a first step towards realizing the goal of directional control of both energy transport and charge separation, where excitons shared between adjacent molecules dissociate exclusively along the pi-stacking direction.« less

Two-dimensional PdSe2-Pd2Se3 junctions can serve as nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zuluaga, Sebastian; Lin, Junhao; Suenaga, Kazu; Pantelides, Sokrates T.

2018-07-01

While the exfoliation of almost all layered materials results in a monolayer with the same atomic geometry as its bulk counterpart, the exfoliation of PdSe2 results in a monolayer with a different atomic geometry and a new stoichiometry, Pd2Se3, which is a fusion of two PdSe2 monolayers mediated by Se emission. Here we first report first-principles calculations of lateral junctions between a PdSe2 bilayer and a Pd2Se3 monolayer. We find that, while several distinct junction geometries are possible, they all exhibit empty interface states below the conduction band. As a result, light n-type doping of either or both sides, e.g. by halogen atoms replacing Se atoms, leads to a remotely-doped interface, i.e. a 1D conducting nanowire that runs along the junction, in between the two semiconductors. We have fabricated such junctions inside a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM), but doping and transport measurements are not currently practical.

Copper silicide/silicon nanowire heterostructures: in situ TEM observation of growth behaviors and electron transport properties.

PubMed

Chiu, Chung-Hua; Huang, Chun-Wei; Chen, Jui-Yuan; Huang, Yu-Ting; Hu, Jung-Chih; Chen, Lien-Tai; Hsin, Cheng-Lun; Wu, Wen-Wei

2013-06-07

Copper silicide has been studied in the applications of electronic devices and catalysts. In this study, Cu3Si/Si nanowire heterostructures were fabricated through solid state reaction in an in situ transmission electron microscope (TEM). The dynamic diffusion of the copper atoms in the growth process and the formation mechanism are characterized. We found that two dimensional stacking faults (SF) may retard the growth of Cu3Si. Due to the evidence of the block of edge-nucleation (heterogeneous) by the surface oxide, center-nucleation (homogeneous) is suggested to dominate the silicidation. Furthermore, the electrical transport properties of various silicon channel length with Cu3Si/Si heterostructure interfaces and metallic Cu3Si NWs have been investigated. The observations not only provided an alternative pathway to explore the formation mechanisms and interface properties of Cu3Si/Si, but also suggested the potential application of Cu3Si at nanoscale for future processing in nanotechnology.

Effect of morphology evolution on the thermoelectric properties of oxidized ZnO thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Shiying; Li, Guojian; Xiao, Lin; Jia, Baohai; Gao, Yang; Wang, Qiang

2018-04-01

The effects of nanowire content on the thermoelectric properties of ZnO films were investigated. The nanowire content of ZnO films was tuned by thermal oxidation of evaporated Zn films. The results showed that hexagonal and polyhedral morphologies on the surface of Zn films can be used to tune the nanowire content of ZnO films. Hexagonal nanoplates with a diameter of 100-350 nm readily grew ZnO nanowires with c-axis preferential orientation. Conversely, it was difficult to grow nanowires on polyhedral nanoparticles with diameters of 500-750 nm because the meeting of ZnO (101) and (001) facets suppressed nanowire growth. Thermoelectric parameters were strongly affected by nanowire content. In particular, carrier concentration increased with nanowire content. Carrier mobility also increased with nanowire content because the nanowires behaved as channels for electronic migration. The band gap of the films narrowed with increasing nanowire content because the binding energy of O 1s electrons with oxygen vacancies decreased. The maximum power factor of the film with high nanowire content (8.80 μW/m K2 at 530 K) was approximately 300% higher than that of the film with low nanowire content.

Quantifying surface roughness effects on phonon transport in silicon nanowires.

PubMed

Lim, Jongwoo; Hippalgaonkar, Kedar; Andrews, Sean C; Majumdar, Arun; Yang, Peidong

2012-05-09

Although it has been qualitatively demonstrated that surface roughness can reduce the thermal conductivity of crystalline Si nanowires (SiNWs), the underlying reasons remain unknown and warrant quantitative studies and analysis. In this work, vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) grown SiNWs were controllably roughened and then thoroughly characterized with transmission electron microscopy to obtain detailed surface profiles. Once the roughness information (root-mean-square, σ, correlation length, L, and power spectra) was extracted from the surface profile of a specific SiNW, the thermal conductivity of the same SiNW was measured. The thermal conductivity correlated well with the power spectra of surface roughness, which varies as a power law in the 1-100 nm length scale range. These results suggest a new realm of phonon scattering from rough interfaces, which restricts phonon transport below the Casimir limit. Insights gained from this study can help develop a more concrete theoretical understanding of phonon-surface roughness interactions as well as aid the design of next generation thermoelectric devices.

Brownian motion of tethered nanowires.

PubMed

Ota, Sadao; Li, Tongcang; Li, Yimin; Ye, Ziliang; Labno, Anna; Yin, Xiaobo; Alam, Mohammad-Reza; Zhang, Xiang

2014-05-01

Brownian motion of slender particles near a boundary is ubiquitous in biological systems and in nanomaterial assembly, but the complex hydrodynamic interaction in those systems is still poorly understood. Here, we report experimental and computational studies of the Brownian motion of silicon nanowires tethered on a substrate. An optical interference method enabled direct observation of microscopic rotations of the slender bodies in three dimensions with high angular and temporal resolutions. This quantitative observation revealed anisotropic and angle-dependent hydrodynamic wall effects: rotational diffusivity in inclined and azimuth directions follows different power laws as a function of the length, ∼ L(-2.5) and ∼ L(-3), respectively, and is more hindered for smaller inclined angles. In parallel, we developed an implicit simulation technique that takes the complex wire-wall hydrodynamic interactions into account efficiently, the result of which agreed well with the experimentally observed angle-dependent diffusion. The demonstrated techniques provide a platform for studying the microrheology of soft condensed matters, such as colloidal and biological systems near interfaces, and exploring the optimal self-assembly conditions of nanostructures.

Nanocontact Disorder in Nanoelectronics for Modulation of Light and Gas Sensitivities.

PubMed

Lin, Yen-Fu; Chang, Chia-Hung; Hung, Tsu-Chang; Jian, Wen-Bin; Tsukagoshi, Kazuhito; Wu, Yue-Han; Chang, Li; Liu, Zhaoping; Fang, Jiye

2015-08-11

To fabricate reliable nanoelectronics, whether by top-down or bottom-up processes, it is necessary to study the electrical properties of nanocontacts. The effect of nanocontact disorder on device properties has been discussed but not quantitatively studied. Here, by carefully analyzing the temperature dependence of device electrical characteristics and by inspecting them with a microscope, we investigated the Schottky contact and Mott's variable-range-hopping resistances connected in parallel in the nanocontact. To interpret these parallel resistances, we proposed a model of Ti/TiOx in the interface between the metal electrodes and nanowires. The hopping resistance as well as the nanocontact disorder dominated the total device resistance for high-resistance devices, especially at low temperatures. Furthermore, we introduced nanocontact disorder to modulate the light and gas responsivities of the device; unexpectedly, it multiplied the sensitivities compared with the intrinsic sensitivity of the nanowires. Our results improve the collective understanding of electrical contacts to low-dimensional semiconductor devices and will aid performance optimization in future nanoelectronics.

Nanocontact Disorder in Nanoelectronics for Modulation of Light and Gas Sensitivities

PubMed Central

Lin, Yen-Fu; Chang, Chia-Hung; Hung, Tsu-Chang; Jian, Wen-Bin; Tsukagoshi, Kazuhito; Wu, Yue-Han; Chang, Li; Liu, Zhaoping; Fang, Jiye

2015-01-01

To fabricate reliable nanoelectronics, whether by top-down or bottom-up processes, it is necessary to study the electrical properties of nanocontacts. The effect of nanocontact disorder on device properties has been discussed but not quantitatively studied. Here, by carefully analyzing the temperature dependence of device electrical characteristics and by inspecting them with a microscope, we investigated the Schottky contact and Mott’s variable-range-hopping resistances connected in parallel in the nanocontact. To interpret these parallel resistances, we proposed a model of Ti/TiOx in the interface between the metal electrodes and nanowires. The hopping resistance as well as the nanocontact disorder dominated the total device resistance for high-resistance devices, especially at low temperatures. Furthermore, we introduced nanocontact disorder to modulate the light and gas responsivities of the device; unexpectedly, it multiplied the sensitivities compared with the intrinsic sensitivity of the nanowires. Our results improve the collective understanding of electrical contacts to low-dimensional semiconductor devices and will aid performance optimization in future nanoelectronics. PMID:26260674

Chemical sintering of direct-written silver nanowire flexible electrodes under room temperature.

PubMed

Hui, Zhuang; Liu, Yangai; Guo, Wei; Li, Lihang; Mu, Nan; Jin, Chao; Zhu, Ying; Peng, Peng

2017-07-14

Transparent and flexible electrodes on cost effective plastic substrates for wearable electronics have attract great attention recently. Due to the conductivity and flexibility in network form, metal nanowire is regarded as one of the most promising candidates for flexible electrode fabrication. Prior to application, low temperature joining of nanowire processes are required to reduce the resistance of electrodes and simultaneously maintain the dimensionality and uniformity of those nanowires. In the present work, we presented an innovative, robust and cost effective method to minimize the heat effect to plastic substrate and silver nanowires which allows silver nanowire electrodes been directly written on polycarbonate substrate and sintered by different electrolyte solutions at room temperature or near. It has been rigorously demonstrated that the resistance of silver nanowire electrodes has been reduced by 90% after chemical sintering at room temperature due to the joining of silver nanowires at junction areas. After ∼1000 bending cycles, the measured resistance of silver nanowire electrode was stable during both up-bending and down-bending states. The changes of silver nanowires after sintering were characterized using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy and a sintering mechanism was proposed and validated. This direct-written silver nanowire electrode with good performance has broad applications in flexible electronics fabrication and packaging.

Raman Antenna Effect in Semiconducting Nanowires.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Gugang; Xiong, Qihua; Eklund, Peter

2007-03-01

A novel Raman antenna effect has been observed in Raman scattering experiments recently carried out on individual GaP nanowires [1]. The Raman antenna effect is perfectly general and should appear in all semiconducting nanowires. It is characterized by an anomalous increase in the Raman cross section for scattering from LO or TO phonons when the electric field of the incident laser beam is parallel to the nanowire axis. We demonstrate that the explanation for the effect lies in the polarization dependence of the Mie scattering from the nanowire and the concomitant polarization-dependent electric field set up inside the wire. Our analysis involves calculations of the internal electric field using the discrete dipole approximation (DDA). We find that the Raman antenna effect happens only for nanowire diameters d<λ/4, where λ is the excitation laser wavelength. Our calculations are found in good agreement with recent experimental results for scattering from individual GaP nanowires. [1] Q. Xiong, G. Chen, G. D. Mahan, P. C. Eklund, in preparation, 2006.

Effect of nanowire curviness on the percolation resistivity of transparent, conductive metal nanowire networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hicks, Jeremy; Li, Junying; Ying, Chen; Ural, Ant

2018-05-01

We study the effect of nanowire curviness on the percolation resistivity of transparent, conductive metal nanowire networks by Monte Carlo simulations. We generate curvy nanowires as one-dimensional sticks using 3rd-order Bézier curves. The degree of curviness in the network is quantified by the concept of curviness angle and curl ratio. We systematically study the interaction between the effect of curviness and five other nanowire/device parameters on the network resistivity, namely nanowire density, nanowire length, device length, device width, and nanowire alignment. We find that the resistivity exhibits a power law dependence on the curl ratio, which is a signature of percolation transport. In each case, we extract the power-law scaling critical exponents and explain the results using geometrical and physical arguments. The value of the curl ratio critical exponent is not universal, but increases as the other nanowire/device parameters drive the network toward the percolation threshold. We find that, for randomly oriented networks, curviness is undesirable since it increases the resistivity. For well-aligned networks, on the other hand, some curviness is highly desirable, since the resistivity minimum occurs for partially curvy nanowires. We explain these results by considering the two competing effects of curviness on the percolation resistivity. The results presented in this work can be extended to any network, film, or nanocomposite consisting of one-dimensional nanoelements. Our results show that Monte Carlo simulations are an essential predictive tool for both studying the percolation transport and optimizing the electronic properties of transparent, conductive nanowire networks for a wide range of applications.

A silicon nanowire heater and thermometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Xingyan; Dan, Yaping

2017-07-01

In the thermal conductivity measurements of thermoelectric materials, heaters and thermometers made of the same semiconducting materials under test, forming a homogeneous system, will significantly simplify fabrication and integration. In this work, we demonstrate a high-performance heater and thermometer made of single silicon nanowires (SiNWs). The SiNWs are patterned out of a silicon-on-insulator wafer by CMOS-compatible fabrication processes. The electronic properties of the nanowires are characterized by four-probe and low temperature Hall effect measurements. The I-V curves of the nanowires are linear at small voltage bias. The temperature dependence of the nanowire resistance allows the nanowire to be used as a highly sensitive thermometer. At high voltage bias, the I-V curves of the nanowire become nonlinear due to the effect of Joule heating. The temperature of the nanowire heater can be accurately monitored by the nanowire itself as a thermometer.

Effect of field deposition and pore size on Co/Cu barcode nanowires by electrodeposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Ji Ung; Wu, Jun-Hua; Min, Ji Hyun; Lee, Ju Hun; Liu, Hong-Ling; Kim, Young Keun

2007-03-01

We have studied the effect of an external magnetic field applied during electrodeposition of Co/Cu barcode nanowires in anodic aluminum oxide nanotemplates. The magnetic properties of the barcode nanowires were greatly enhanced for 50 nm pore diameter regardless of segment aspect ratio, but field deposition has little effect on the 200 nm nanowires. The magnetic improvement is correlated with a structural change, attributed to field modification of the growth habit of the barcode nanowires. A mechanism of growth subject to geometric confinement is proposed.

Terahertz time-domain measurement of non-Drude conductivity in silver nanowire thin films for transparent electrode applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jaeseok; Maeng, Inhee; Jung, Jongwook; Song, Hyunjoon; Son, Joo-Hiuk; Kim, Kilsuk; Lee, Jaeik; Kim, Chul-Hong; Chae, Geesung; Jun, Myungchul; Hwang, YongKee; Jeong Lee, Su; Myoung, Jae-Min; Choi, Hyunyong

2013-01-01

We have investigated the complex conductivity of silver nanowire thin films using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy. Maxwell-Garnett effective medium theory, which accounts for the effective complex conductivity of silver nanowires, is presented in detail theoretically and experimentally. The conductivity of nanowires exhibits a characteristic non-Drude response in which the applied terahertz field is polarized in the longitudinal nanowire direction. The non-Drude responses of the silver nanowires are explained by the Gans approximation and the Drude-Smith model, and both agree well with the experimental data. Our results provide a basis for further explorations of charge carrier dynamics in nanowire-based transparent electrode applications.

Influence factors of the inter-nanowire thermal contact resistance in the stacked nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Dongxu; Huang, Congliang; Zhong, Jinxin; Lin, Zizhen

2018-05-01

The inter-nanowire thermal contact resistance is important for tuning the thermal conductivity of a nanocomposite for thermoelectric applications. In this paper, the stacked copper nanowires are applied for studying the thermal contact resistance. The stacked copper nanowires are firstly made by the cold-pressing method, and then the nanowire stacks are treated by sintering treatment. With the effect of the volumetric fraction of nanowires in the stack and the influence of the sintering-temperature on the thermal contact resistance discussed, results show that: The thermal conductivity of the 150-nm copper nanowires can be enlarged almost 2 times with the volumetric fraction increased from 32 to 56% because of the enlarged contact-area and contact number of a copper nanowire. When the sintering temperature increases from 293 to 673 K, the thermal conductivity of the stacked 300-nm nanowires could be enlarged almost 2.5 times by the sintering treatment, because of the improved lattice property of the contact zone. In conclusion, application of a high volumetric fraction or/and a sintering-treatment are effectivity to tune the inter-nanowire thermal contact resistance, and thus to tailor the thermal conductivity of a nanowire network or stack.

Diamond nanowires: a novel platform for electrochemistry and matrix-free mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Szunerits, Sabine; Coffinier, Yannick; Boukherroub, Rabah

2015-05-27

Over the last decades, carbon-based nanostructures have generated a huge interest from both fundamental and technological viewpoints owing to their physicochemical characteristics, markedly different from their corresponding bulk states. Among these nanostructured materials, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and more recently graphene and its derivatives, hold a central position. The large amount of work devoted to these materials is driven not only by their unique mechanical and electrical properties, but also by the advances made in synthetic methods to produce these materials in large quantities with reasonably controllable morphologies. While much less studied than CNTs and graphene, diamond nanowires, the diamond analogue of CNTs, hold promise for several important applications. Diamond nanowires display several advantages such as chemical inertness, high mechanical strength, high thermal and electrical conductivity, together with proven biocompatibility and existence of various strategies to functionalize their surface. The unique physicochemical properties of diamond nanowires have generated wide interest for their use as fillers in nanocomposites, as light detectors and emitters, as substrates for nanoelectronic devices, as tips for scanning probe microscopy as well as for sensing applications. In the past few years, studies on boron-doped diamond nanowires (BDD NWs) focused on increasing their electrochemical active surface area to achieve higher sensitivity and selectivity compared to planar diamond interfaces. The first part of the present review article will cover the promising applications of BDD NWS for label-free sensing. Then, the potential use of diamond nanowires as inorganic substrates for matrix-free laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry, a powerful label-free approach for quantification and identification of small compounds, will be discussed.

Diamond Nanowires: A Novel Platform for Electrochemistry and Matrix-Free Mass Spectrometry

PubMed Central

Szunerits, Sabine; Coffinier, Yannick; Boukherroub, Rabah

2015-01-01

Over the last decades, carbon-based nanostructures have generated a huge interest from both fundamental and technological viewpoints owing to their physicochemical characteristics, markedly different from their corresponding bulk states. Among these nanostructured materials, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and more recently graphene and its derivatives, hold a central position. The large amount of work devoted to these materials is driven not only by their unique mechanical and electrical properties, but also by the advances made in synthetic methods to produce these materials in large quantities with reasonably controllable morphologies. While much less studied than CNTs and graphene, diamond nanowires, the diamond analogue of CNTs, hold promise for several important applications. Diamond nanowires display several advantages such as chemical inertness, high mechanical strength, high thermal and electrical conductivity, together with proven biocompatibility and existence of various strategies to functionalize their surface. The unique physicochemical properties of diamond nanowires have generated wide interest for their use as fillers in nanocomposites, as light detectors and emitters, as substrates for nanoelectronic devices, as tips for scanning probe microscopy as well as for sensing applications. In the past few years, studies on boron-doped diamond nanowires (BDD NWs) focused on increasing their electrochemical active surface area to achieve higher sensitivity and selectivity compared to planar diamond interfaces. The first part of the present review article will cover the promising applications of BDD NWS for label-free sensing. Then, the potential use of diamond nanowires as inorganic substrates for matrix-free laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry, a powerful label-free approach for quantification and identification of small compounds, will be discussed. PMID:26024422

Enhanced Performance of Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting with ITO@α-Fe2O3 Core-Shell Nanowire Array as Photoanode.

PubMed

Yang, Jie; Bao, Chunxiong; Yu, Tao; Hu, Yingfei; Luo, Wenjun; Zhu, Weidong; Fu, Gao; Li, Zhaosheng; Gao, Hao; Li, Faming; Zou, Zhigang

2015-12-09

Hematite (α-Fe2O3) is one of the most promising candidates for photoelectrodes in photoelectrochemical water splitting system. However, the low visible light absorption coefficient and short hole diffusion length of pure α-Fe2O3 limits the performance of α-Fe2O3 photoelectrodes in water splitting. Herein, to overcome these drawbacks, single-crystalline tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) nanowire core and α-Fe2O3 nanocrystal shell (ITO@α-Fe2O3) electrodes were fabricated by covering the chemical vapor deposited ITO nanowire array with compact thin α-Fe2O3 nanocrystal film using chemical bath deposition (CBD) method. The J-V curves and IPCE of ITO@α-Fe2O3 core-shell nanowire array electrode showed nearly twice as high performance as those of the α-Fe2O3 on planar Pt-coated silicon wafers (Pt/Si) and on planar ITO substrates, which was considered to be attributed to more efficient hole collection and more loading of α-Fe2O3 nanocrystals in the core-shell structure than planar structure. Electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS) characterization demonstrated a low interface resistance between α-Fe2O3 and ITO nanowire arrays, which benefits from the well contact between the core and shell. The stability test indicated that the prepared ITO@α-Fe2O3 core-shell nanowire array electrode was stable under AM1.5 illumination during the test period of 40,000 s.

Fabrication of a Silicon Nanowire on a Bulk Substrate by Use of a Plasma Etching and Total Ionizing Dose Effects on a Gate-All-Around Field-Effect Transistor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moon, Dong-Il; Han, Jin-Woo; Meyyappan, Meyya

2016-01-01

The gate all around transistor is investigated through experiment. The suspended silicon nanowire for the next generation is fabricated on bulk substrate by plasma etching method. The scallop pattern generated by Bosch process is utilized to form a floating silicon nanowire. By combining anisotropic and istropic silicon etch process, the shape of nanowire is accurately controlled. From the suspended nanowire, the gate all around transistor is demonstrated. As the silicon nanowire is fully surrounded by the gate, the device shows excellent electrostatic characteristics.

Cellular manipulation and patterning using ferromagnetic nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hultgren, Anne

Ferromagnetic nanowires are demonstrated as an effective tool to apply forces to living cells. Both magnetic cell separations and the magnetic patterning of cells on a substrate will be accomplished through the use of cell-nanowire interactions as well as nanowire-magnetic field interactions. When introduced into cultures of NIH-3T3 cells, the nanowires are internalized by cells via the integrin-mediated adhesion pathway without inflicting any toxic effects on the cell cycle over the course of several days. In addition, the length of the nanowires was found to have an effect on the cell-nanowire interactions when the cells were dissociated from the tissue culture dish. To compare the effectiveness of the nanowires as a means of manipulating cells to the current technology which is based on superparamagnetic beads, magnetic cell separations were performed with electrodeposited Ni nanowires 350 nm in diameter and 5--35 mum long in field gradients of 80 T/m. Single-pass separations of NIH-3T3 cells bound to nanowires achieve up to 81% purity with 85% yield, a dramatic improvement over the 55% purity and 20% yield obtained with the beads. The yield for the separations were found to be dependent on the length of the nanowires, and was maximized when the length of the nanowires equaled the diameter of the cells. This dependence was exploited to perform a size-selective magnetic separation. Substrates containing arrays of micro-magnets, fabricated using photolithography, were placed in cell cultures. These micro-magnet arrays create regions of locally strong magnetic field gradients to trap nanowires in specific locations on the substrate. These substrates were used in conjunction with fluid flow and a weak, externally applied magnetic field to create and control patterns of cells bound to nanowires. Controlled isolation of heterogeneous pairs and groups of cells will enable the study of the biochemistry of cell-cell contacts.

Gas Sensors Based on Semiconducting Nanowire Field-Effect Transistors

PubMed Central

Feng, Ping; Shao, Feng; Shi, Yi; Wan, Qing

2014-01-01

One-dimensional semiconductor nanostructures are unique sensing materials for the fabrication of gas sensors. In this article, gas sensors based on semiconducting nanowire field-effect transistors (FETs) are comprehensively reviewed. Individual nanowires or nanowire network films are usually used as the active detecting channels. In these sensors, a third electrode, which serves as the gate, is used to tune the carrier concentration of the nanowires to realize better sensing performance, including sensitivity, selectivity and response time, etc. The FET parameters can be modulated by the presence of the target gases and their change relate closely to the type and concentration of the gas molecules. In addition, extra controls such as metal decoration, local heating and light irradiation can be combined with the gate electrode to tune the nanowire channel and realize more effective gas sensing. With the help of micro-fabrication techniques, these sensors can be integrated into smart systems. Finally, some challenges for the future investigation and application of nanowire field-effect gas sensors are discussed. PMID:25232915

Effect of Si-doping on InAs nanowire transport and morphology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wirths, S.; Weis, K.; Winden, A.; Sladek, K.; Volk, C.; Alagha, S.; Weirich, T. E.; von der Ahe, M.; Hardtdegen, H.; Lüth, H.; Demarina, N.; Grützmacher, D.; Schäpers, Th.

2011-09-01

The effect of Si-doping on the morphology, structure, and transport properties of nanowires was investigated. The nanowires were deposited by selective-area metal organic vapor phase epitaxy in an N2 ambient. It is observed that doping systematically affects the nanowire morphology but not the structure of the nanowires. However, the transport properties of the wires are greatly affected. Room-temperature four-terminal measurements show that with an increasing dopant supply the conductivity monotonously increases. For the highest doping level the conductivity is higher by a factor of 25 compared to only intrinsically doped reference nanowires. By means of back-gate field-effect transistor measurements it was confirmed that the doping results in an increased carrier concentration. Temperature dependent resistance measurements reveal, for lower doping concentrations, a thermally activated semiconductor-type increase of the conductivity. In contrast, the nanowires with the highest doping concentration show a metal-type decrease of the resistivity with decreasing temperature.

Multiscale Study of Plasmonic Scattering and Light Trapping Effect in Silicon Nanowire Array Solar Cells.

PubMed

Meng, Lingyi; Zhang, Yu; Yam, ChiYung

2017-02-02

Nanometallic structures that support surface plasmons provide new ways to confine light at deep-subwavelength scales. The effect of light scattering in nanowire array solar cells is studied by a multiscale approach combining classical electromagnetic (EM) and quantum mechanical simulations. A photovoltaic device is constructed by integrating a silicon nanowire array with a plasmonic silver nanosphere. The light scatterings by plasmonic element and nanowire array are obtained via classical EM simulations, while current-voltage characteristics and optical properties of the nanowire cells are evaluated quantum mechanically. We found that the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of photovoltaic device is substantially improved due to the local field enhancement of the plasmonic effect and light trapping by the nanowire array. In addition, we showed that there exists an optimal nanowire number density in terms of optical confinement and solar cell PCE.

Local probe investigation of emergent phenomena in complex oxide heterointerfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Mengchen

Complex oxide heterointerfaces exhibit rich physics as well as many veiled puzzles. LaAlO3/SrTiO3 (LAO/STO) is one of the prototype of such heterointerfaces. In 2004, Ohtomo and Hwang first reported a conducing interface emerged between perovskite oxide insulators LaAlO3 and SrTiO3. Following this seminal discovery, many emergent phenomena like metal-insulator transition, piezoresponse, superconductivity, magnetism, strong spin-orbit coupling and coexistence of superconductivity and magnetism were reported in the fascinating LAO/STO system. However, the origin of the conducting interface is still the subject of intense debate, and the physics behind these emergent phenomena remains a wild space to be explored. My Ph.D. study focused on the emergent phenomena in LAO/STO by using "local probes" -- nanostructures created by conductive atomic force microscope (c-AFM) lithography and the AFM itself. I used piezoresponse force microscope (PFM) to study the electromechanical response in LAO/STO and developed a high-resolution, non-destructive PFM imaging technique to visualize nanostructures at LAO/STO interface. The results indicate that the PFM signal is related to a carrier density mediated interfacial lattice distortion, and surface adsorbates can affect the PFM signal via coupling to the electrons at the interface. I integrated graphene on LAO/STO, created field-effect devices in graphene/LAO/STO and collaborated with Dr. Giriraj Jnawali to investigate the transport properties. The high quality single layer graphene on LAO/STO exhibited the half-integer quantum Hall effect and room temperature weak antilocalization behavior. I performed transport measurements in (110)-oriented LAO/STO to investigate anisotropic quasi one-dimensional superconductivity in nanowires. Based on the results I proposed a plausible explanation related to the Lifshitz transition and anisotropic band structures of nanowires in (110)-oriented LAO/STO. Co-worked with Dr. Keith Brown, I studied the conductivity switching of LAO/STO interface by solvent immersion and light exposure. We reported a fully reversible, more than four order of magnitude conductance modulation and proposed a surface protonation model. Besides these main research projects that are discussed in this thesis, I also contributed in many other research projects by optimizing the proper sample preparation methods, performing nanostructures fabrication and characterization, and being actively involved in the measurements, data analysis and manuscript preparation.

Crystal Phase Quantum Well Emission with Digital Control.

PubMed

Assali, S; Lähnemann, J; Vu, T T T; Jöns, K D; Gagliano, L; Verheijen, M A; Akopian, N; Bakkers, E P A M; Haverkort, J E M

2017-10-11

One of the major challenges in the growth of quantum well and quantum dot heterostructures is the realization of atomically sharp interfaces. Nanowires provide a new opportunity to engineer the band structure as they facilitate the controlled switching of the crystal structure between the zinc-blende (ZB) and wurtzite (WZ) phases. Such a crystal phase switching results in the formation of crystal phase quantum wells (CPQWs) and quantum dots (CPQDs). For GaP CPQWs, the inherent electric fields due to the discontinuity of the spontaneous polarization at the WZ/ZB junctions lead to the confinement of both types of charge carriers at the opposite interfaces of the WZ/ZB/WZ structure. This confinement leads to a novel type of transition across a ZB flat plate barrier. Here, we show digital tuning of the visible emission of WZ/ZB/WZ CPQWs in a GaP nanowire by changing the thickness of the ZB barrier. The energy spacing between the sharp emission lines is uniform and is defined by the addition of single ZB monolayers. The controlled growth of identical quantum wells with atomically flat interfaces at predefined positions featuring digitally tunable discrete emission energies may provide a new route to further advance entangled photons in solid state quantum systems.

Insights into collaborative separation process of photogenerated charges and superior performance of solar cells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Xiangyang, E-mail: lxy081276@126.com; Wang, Shun; Zheng, Haiwu

2016-07-25

ZnO nanowires/Cu{sub 4}Bi{sub 4}S{sub 9} (ZnO/CBS) and ZnO nanowires/CBS-graphene nanoplates (ZnO/CBS-GNs), as well as two types of solar cells were prepared. The photovoltaic responses of CBS-GNs and ZnO/CBS-GNs can be improved with incorporation of GNs. The transient surface photovoltage (TPV) can provide detailed information on the separation and transport of photogenerated carriers. The multichannel separation process from the TPVs indicates that the macro-photoelectric signals can be attributed to the photogenerated charges separated at the interface of CBS/GNs, rather than CBS/ZnO. The multi-interfacial recombination is the major carrier loss, and the hole selective p-V{sub 2}O{sub 5} can efficiently accelerate the chargemore » extraction to the external circuit. The ZnO/CBS-GNs cell exhibits the superior performance, and the highest efficiency is 10.9%. With the adequate interfaces of CBS/GNs, GNs conductive network, energy level matching, etc., the excitons can easily diffuse to the interface of CBS/GNs, and the separated electrons and holes can be collected quickly, inducing the high photoelectric properties. Here, a facile strategy for solid state solar cells with superior performance presents a potential application.« less

Enhancing Photoresponsivity of Self-Aligned MoS2 Field-Effect Transistors by Piezo-Phototronic Effect from GaN Nanowires.

PubMed

Liu, Xingqiang; Yang, Xiaonian; Gao, Guoyun; Yang, Zhenyu; Liu, Haitao; Li, Qiang; Lou, Zheng; Shen, Guozhen; Liao, Lei; Pan, Caofeng; Lin Wang, Zhong

2016-08-23

We report high-performance self-aligned MoS2 field-effect transistors (FETs) with enhanced photoresponsivity by the piezo-phototronic effect. The FETs are fabricated based on monolayer MoS2 with a piezoelectric GaN nanowire (NW) as the local gate, and a self-aligned process is employed to define the source/drain electrodes. The fabrication method allows the preservation of the intrinsic property of MoS2 and suppresses the scattering center density in the MoS2/GaN interface, which results in high electrical and photoelectric performances. MoS2 FETs with channel lengths of ∼200 nm have been fabricated with a small subthreshold slope of 64 mV/dec. The photoresponsivity is 443.3 A·W(-1), with a fast response and recovery time of ∼5 ms under 550 nm light illumination. When strain is introduced into the GaN NW, the photoresponsivity is further enhanced to 734.5 A·W(-1) and maintains consistent response and recovery time, which is comparable with that of the mechanical exfoliation of MoS2 transistors. The approach presented here opens an avenue to high-performance top-gated piezo-enhanced MoS2 photodetectors.

Effect of orientation on deformation behavior of Fe nanowires: A molecular dynamics study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sainath, G.; Srinivasan, V. S.; Choudhary, B. K.; Mathew, M. D.; Jayakumar, T.

2014-04-01

Molecular dynamics simulations have been carried out to study the effect of crystal orientation on tensile deformation behaviour of single crystal BCC Fe nanowires at 10 K. Two nanowires with an initial orientation of <100>/{100} and <110>/{111} have been chosen for this study. The simulation results show that the deformation mechanisms varied with crystal orientation. The nanowire with an initial orientation of <100>/{100} deforms predominantly by twinning mechanism, whereas the nanowire oriented in <110>/{111}, deforms by dislocation plasticity. In addition, the single crystal oriented in <110>/{111} shows higher strength and elastic modulus than <100>/{100} oriented nanowire.

Nonlinear optical studies of aqueous interfaces, polymers, and nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Onorato, Robert Michael

Understanding the structure and composition of aqueous interfaces is one of the most important current problems in modern science. Aqueous interfaces are ubiquitous in Nature, ranging from aerosols to cellular structures. Aerosol chemistry is presently the most significant unknown factor in predicting climate change, and an understanding of the chemistry that occurs at aerosol interfaces would significantly improve climate models. Similarly, the nature of aqueous biological interfaces has a profound effect on the structure and function of proteins and other biological structures. Despite the importance of these problems, aqueous interfaces remain incompletely understood due to the challenges of experimentally probing them. Recent experimental and theoretical results have firmly established the existence of enhanced concentrations of selected ions at the air/water interface. In this dissertation, I use an interface-specific technique, UV second harmonic generation (SHG), to further investigate the adsorption of ions to the air/water interface and to extend the study of ion adsorption towards more biologically relevant systems, alcohol/water interfaces. In Chapter 2, I describe resonant UV-SHG studies of the strongly chaotropic thiocyanate ion adsorbed to the interface formed by water and a monolayer of dodecanol, wherein the Gibbs free energy of adsorption was determined to be -6.7 +/- 1.1 and -6.3 +/- 1.8 kJ/mol for sodium and potassium thiocyanate, respectively, coincident with the value determined for thiocyanate at the air/water interface. Interestingly, at concentrations near and above 4 M, the resonant SHG signal increases discontinuously, indicating a structural change in the interfacial region. Recent experimental and theoretical work has demonstrated that the adsorption of bromide is particularly important for chemical reactions on atmospheric aerosols, including the depletion of ozone. In Chapter 3, UV-SHG resonant with the bromide charge-transfer-to-solvent band and a Langmuir adsorption model are used to determine the affinity of bromide for both the air/water and dodecanol/water interfaces in the molar concentration regime. The Gibbs free energy of adsorption for the former is determined to be -1.4 kJ/mol with a lower 90% confidence limit of -4.1 kJ/mol. For the dodecanol/water interface the data are best fit with a Gibbs free energy of +8 kJ/mol with an estimated a lower limit of -4 kJ/mol. Adsorption of ions to the air/water interface in the millimolar regime is a particularly interesting phenomenon. In Chapter 4, the affinity of sodium chloride and sodium bromide to the air/water interface is probed by UV-SHG. Both salts exhibit a strong adsorption, with free energies greater than -20 kJ/mol. Interestingly, sodium chloride exhibits a stronger affinity for the interface than does sodium iodide, which was previously studied by Poul Peterson. This is counter to both experimental and theoretical results for higher concentrations. It has been predicted that ion adsorption is dictated by strong and opposing electrostatic and entropic forces. The change in order of ion interfacial affinity can be explained by relatively small changes in these forces at different concentrations and ionic strengths. In Chapters 5 and 6, other work using nonlinear optical techniques is described. Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microscopy is a promising tool for chemically selective imaging based on molecular vibrations. While CARS is currently used as a biological imaging tool, many variations are still being developed, perhaps the most important being multiplex CARS microscopy. Multiplex CARS has the advantage of comparing images based on different molecular vibrations without changing the excitation wavelengths. In Chapter 5, I demonstrate both high spectral and spatial resolution multiplex CARS imaging of polymer films using a simple scheme for chirped CARS with a spectral bandwidth of 300 cm-1. In Chapter 6, the nonlinear optical properties of KNbO3 nanowires are studied. Using SHG and sum frequency generation, efficient nonlinear optical frequency conversion is demonstrated in single KNbO3 nanowires that act as optical waveguides, yielding a coherent tunable subwavelength light source.

Low-frequency flicker noise in a MSM device made with single Si nanowire (diameter ≈ 50 nm).

PubMed

Samanta, Sudeshna; Das, Kaustuv; Raychaudhuri, Arup Kumar

2013-04-10

: Low-frequency flicker noise has been measured in a metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) device made from a single strand of a single crystalline Si nanowire (diameter approximately 50 nm). Measurement was done with an alternating current (ac) excitation for the noise measurement superimposed with direct current (dc) bias that can be controlled independently. The observed noise has a spectral power density ∝1/fα. Application of the superimposed dc bias (retaining the ac bias unchanged) with a value more than the Schottky barrier height at the junction leads to a large suppression of the noise amplitude along with a change of α from 2 to ≈ 1. The dc bias-dependent part of the noise has been interpreted as arising from the interface region. The residual dc bias-independent flicker noise is suggested to arise from the single strand of Si nanowire, which has the conventional 1/f spectral power density.

Low-frequency flicker noise in a MSM device made with single Si nanowire (diameter ≈ 50 nm)

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Low-frequency flicker noise has been measured in a metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) device made from a single strand of a single crystalline Si nanowire (diameter approximately 50 nm). Measurement was done with an alternating current (ac) excitation for the noise measurement superimposed with direct current (dc) bias that can be controlled independently. The observed noise has a spectral power density ∝1/fα. Application of the superimposed dc bias (retaining the ac bias unchanged) with a value more than the Schottky barrier height at the junction leads to a large suppression of the noise amplitude along with a change of α from 2 to ≈ 1. The dc bias-dependent part of the noise has been interpreted as arising from the interface region. The residual dc bias-independent flicker noise is suggested to arise from the single strand of Si nanowire, which has the conventional 1/f spectral power density. PMID:23574820

On the impact of indium distribution on the electronic properties in InGaN nanodisks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Benaissa, M., E-mail: benaissa.um5@gmail.com, E-mail: benaissa@fsr.ac.ma; Sigle, W.; Aken, P. A. van

2015-03-09

We analyze an epitaxially grown heterostructure composed of InGaN nanodisks inserted in GaN nanowires in order to relate indium concentration to the electronic properties. This study was achieved with spatially resolved low-loss electron energy-loss spectroscopy using monochromated electrons to probe optical excitations—plasmons—at nanometer scale. Our findings show that each nanowire has its own indium fluctuation and therefore its own average composition. Due to this indium distribution, a scatter is obtained in plasmon energies, and therefore in the optical dielectric function, of the nanowire ensemble. We suppose that these inhomogeneous electronic properties significantly alter band-to-band transitions and consequently induce emission broadening.more » In addition, the observation of tailing indium composition into the GaN barrier suggests a graded well-barrier interface leading to further inhomogeneous broadening of the electro-optical properties. An improvement in the indium incorporation during growth is therefore needed to narrow the emission linewidth of the presently studied heterostructures.« less

Lateral heat flow distribution and defect-dependent thermal resistance in an individual silicon nanowire.

PubMed

Lee, Seung-Yong; Lee, Won-Yong; Thong, John T L; Kim, Gil-Sung; Lee, Sang-Kwon

2016-03-18

Studies aiming to significantly improve thermal properties, such as figure-of-merit, of silicon nanowires (SiNW) have focused on diameter reduction and surface or interface roughness control. However, the mechanism underlying thermal conductivity enhancement of roughness controlled NWs remains unclear. Here, we report a significant influence of stacking faults (SFs) on the lateral thermal conductivity of a single SiNW, using a combination of newly developed in situ spatially-resolved thermal resistance experiments and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy measurements. We used as-grown SiNWs tapered along the growth direction with progressively lower roughness and SFs density. The results clearly confirmed that both surface roughness and twins or SFs densities suppress the thermal conductivity of an individual SiNW. The results and measurement techniques presented here hold great potential for inspecting minute changes in thermal resistance along an individual SiNW, caused by induced SFs on the nanostructure, and for improving one-dimensional nanowire-based thermoelectric device performance.

Nanojoint Formation between Ceramic Titanate Nanowires and Spot Melting of Metal Nanowires with Electron Beam.

PubMed

Bo, Arixin; Alarco, Jose; Zhu, Huaiyong; Waclawik, Eric R; Zhan, Haifei; Gu, YuanTong

2017-03-15

Construction of nanoarchitectures requires techniques like joint formation and trimming. For ceramic materials, however, it is extremely difficult to form nanojoints by conventional methods like merging. In this work, we demonstrate that ceramic titanate nanowires (NWs) can be joined by spot melting under electron beam (e-beam) irradiation (EBI). The irradiation fuses the contacted spot of titanate NWs yielding an intact nanojoint. Nanojoints with different morphologies can be produced. The joint structures consist of titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) rutile, anatase, and titanate phases in the direction away from the e-beam melting spot. The titanate binds to anatase via a crystallographic matching coherent interface (the oxygen atoms at the interface are shared by the two phases) and the anatase solidly binds to the rutile joint. The resulting rutile joint is stable at high temperatures. Additionally, it is demonstrated that the heat production from EBI treated rutile can be utilized to break metal NWs (Ag, Cu, and Ni) apart by spot melting. The required e-beam intensity is considerably mild (75 pA/cm 2 ) which allows visual access and control over the NW melting. Direct melting of Ag and Cu is not applicable under EBI due to their high thermal conductivity even with high current density (500 pA/cm 2 ). Our findings reveal that ceramic nanojoint formation and spot melting at nanoscale are applicable if the properties of nanomaterials are understood and properly utilized.

Demonstration of Confined Electron Gas and Steep-Slope Behavior in Delta-Doped GaAs-AlGaAs Core-Shell Nanowire Transistors.

PubMed

Morkötter, S; Jeon, N; Rudolph, D; Loitsch, B; Spirkoska, D; Hoffmann, E; Döblinger, M; Matich, S; Finley, J J; Lauhon, L J; Abstreiter, G; Koblmüller, G

2015-05-13

Strong surface and impurity scattering in III-V semiconductor-based nanowires (NW) degrade the performance of electronic devices, requiring refined concepts for controlling charge carrier conductivity. Here, we demonstrate remote Si delta (δ)-doping of radial GaAs-AlGaAs core-shell NWs that unambiguously exhibit a strongly confined electron gas with enhanced low-temperature field-effect mobilities up to 5 × 10(3) cm(2) V(-1) s(-1). The spatial separation between the high-mobility free electron gas at the NW core-shell interface and the Si dopants in the shell is directly verified by atom probe tomographic (APT) analysis, band-profile calculations, and transport characterization in advanced field-effect transistor (FET) geometries, demonstrating powerful control over the free electron gas density and conductivity. Multigated NW-FETs allow us to spatially resolve channel width- and crystal phase-dependent variations in electron gas density and mobility along single NW-FETs. Notably, dc output and transfer characteristics of these n-type depletion mode NW-FETs reveal excellent drain current saturation and record low subthreshold slopes of 70 mV/dec at on/off ratios >10(4)-10(5) at room temperature.

Radiation Effects in III-V Nanowire Devices

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-01

Nanowire Devices Distribution Statement A. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. September 2016 HDTRA1-11-1-0021 Steven R...Name: Prof. S. R. J. Brueck Organization/Institution: University of New Mexico Project Title: Radiation Effects in III-V Nanowire Devices What are...the agency approved application or plan. The objectives of this program were to: a) develop a new nanowire transistor technology based on nanoscale

From immobilized cells to motile cells on a bed-of-nails: effects of vertical nanowire array density on cell behaviour

PubMed Central

Persson, Henrik; Li, Zhen; Tegenfeldt, Jonas O.; Oredsson, Stina; Prinz, Christelle N.

2015-01-01

The field of vertical nanowire array-based applications in cell biology is growing rapidly and an increasing number of applications are being explored. These applications almost invariably rely on the physical properties of the nanowire arrays, creating a need for a better understanding of how their physical properties affect cell behaviour. Here, we investigate the effects of nanowire density on cell migration, division and morphology for murine fibroblasts. Our results show that few nanowires are sufficient to immobilize cells, while a high nanowire spatial density enables a ”bed-of-nails” regime, where cells reside on top of the nanowires and are fully motile. The presence of nanowires decreases the cell proliferation rate, even in the “bed-of-nails” regime. We show that the cell morphology strongly depends on the nanowire density. Cells cultured on low (0.1 μm−2) and medium (1 μm−2) density substrates exhibit an increased number of multi-nucleated cells and micronuclei. These were not observed in cells cultured on high nanowire density substrates (4 μm−2). The results offer important guidelines to minimize cell-function perturbations on nanowire arrays. Moreover, these findings offer the possibility to tune cell proliferation and migration independently by adjusting the nanowire density, which may have applications in drug testing. PMID:26691936

Modulation of thermal conductivity in kinked silicon nanowires: phonon interchanging and pinching effects.

PubMed

Jiang, Jin-Wu; Yang, Nuo; Wang, Bing-Shen; Rabczuk, Timon

2013-04-10

We perform molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the reduction of the thermal conductivity by kinks in silicon nanowires. The reduction percentage can be as high as 70% at room temperature. The temperature dependence of the reduction is also calculated. By calculating phonon polarization vectors, two mechanisms are found to be responsible for the reduced thermal conductivity: (1) the interchanging effect between the longitudinal and transverse phonon modes and (2) the pinching effect, that is, a new type of localization, for the twisting and transverse phonon modes in the kinked silicon nanowires. Our work demonstrates that the phonon interchanging and pinching effects, induced by kinking, are brand-new and effective ways in modulating heat transfer in nanowires, which enables the kinked silicon nanowires to be a promising candidate for thermoelectric materials.

Double heterojunction nanowire photocatalysts for hydrogen generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tongying, P.; Vietmeyer, F.; Aleksiuk, D.; Ferraudi, G. J.; Krylova, G.; Kuno, M.

2014-03-01

Charge separation and charge transfer across interfaces are key aspects in the design of efficient photocatalysts for solar energy conversion. In this study, we investigate the hydrogen generating capabilities and underlying photophysics of nanostructured photocatalysts based on CdSe nanowires (NWs). Systems studied include CdSe, CdSe/CdS core/shell nanowires and their Pt nanoparticle-decorated counterparts. Femtosecond transient differential absorption measurements reveal how semiconductor/semiconductor and metal/semiconductor heterojunctions affect the charge separation and hydrogen generation efficiencies of these hybrid photocatalysts. In turn, we unravel the role of surface passivation, charge separation at semiconductor interfaces and charge transfer to metal co-catalysts in determining photocatalytic H2 generation efficiencies. This allows us to rationalize why Pt nanoparticle decorated CdSe/CdS NWs, a double heterojunction system, performs best with H2 generation rates of ~434.29 +/- 27.40 μmol h-1 g-1 under UV/Visible irradiation. In particular, we conclude that the CdS shell of this double heterojunction system serves two purposes. The first is to passivate CdSe NW surface defects, leading to long-lived charges at the CdSe/CdS interface capable of carrying out reduction chemistries. Upon photoexcitation, we also find that CdS selectively injects charges into Pt NPs, enabling simultaneous reduction chemistries at the Pt NP/solvent interface. Pt nanoparticle decorated CdSe/CdS NWs thus enable reduction chemistries at not one, but rather two interfaces, taking advantage of each junction's optimal catalytic activities.Charge separation and charge transfer across interfaces are key aspects in the design of efficient photocatalysts for solar energy conversion. In this study, we investigate the hydrogen generating capabilities and underlying photophysics of nanostructured photocatalysts based on CdSe nanowires (NWs). Systems studied include CdSe, CdSe/CdS core/shell nanowires and their Pt nanoparticle-decorated counterparts. Femtosecond transient differential absorption measurements reveal how semiconductor/semiconductor and metal/semiconductor heterojunctions affect the charge separation and hydrogen generation efficiencies of these hybrid photocatalysts. In turn, we unravel the role of surface passivation, charge separation at semiconductor interfaces and charge transfer to metal co-catalysts in determining photocatalytic H2 generation efficiencies. This allows us to rationalize why Pt nanoparticle decorated CdSe/CdS NWs, a double heterojunction system, performs best with H2 generation rates of ~434.29 +/- 27.40 μmol h-1 g-1 under UV/Visible irradiation. In particular, we conclude that the CdS shell of this double heterojunction system serves two purposes. The first is to passivate CdSe NW surface defects, leading to long-lived charges at the CdSe/CdS interface capable of carrying out reduction chemistries. Upon photoexcitation, we also find that CdS selectively injects charges into Pt NPs, enabling simultaneous reduction chemistries at the Pt NP/solvent interface. Pt nanoparticle decorated CdSe/CdS NWs thus enable reduction chemistries at not one, but rather two interfaces, taking advantage of each junction's optimal catalytic activities. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Details of NW syntheses, processing and characterization. Additional TEM images of CdS, CdSe and CdSe/CdS core/shell NWs. NW concentration and cross section estimates. Details of the Pt NP decoration. Additional TEM images of Pt NP decorated CdS, CdSe and CdSe/CdS core/shell NWs. Size distribution of Pt NPs for CdSe/Pt NP and CdSe/CdS/Pt NP NWs. Xe arc lamp spectrum. Details of H2 generation experiments. Estimated photon absorption rate. Details of TDA measurements. TDA spectra and kinetics of CdS and CdS/Pt NP NWs. Plot illustrating CdSe NW band edge bleach kinetics. Comparison of CdSe band edge bleach kinetics in CdSe/CdS core/shell NWs when excited at λexc = 387 nm and λexc = 560 nm. Comparison of CdSe band edge bleach kinetics in CdSe/Pt NP NWs when excited at λexc = 387 nm and λexc = 560 nm. Bar graph showing H2 generation efficiencies of CdS and CdS/Pt NP NWs. Bleach kinetics of CdSe/CdS/Pt NP NWs at λexc = 387 nm and λexc = 560 nm. Comparison of CdS band edge bleach kinetics in CdS/Pt NP, and CdSe/CdS core/shell NWs when excited at λexc = 387 nm. See DOI: 10.1039/c4nr00298a

Mechanical characterization of metallic nanowires by using a customized atomic microscope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Celik, Emrah

A new experimental method to characterize the mechanical properties of metallic nanowires is introduced. An accurate and fast mechanical characterization of nanowires requires simultaneous imaging and testing of nanowires. However, there exists no practical experimental procedure in the literature that provides a quantitative mechanical analysis and imaging of the nanowire specimens during mechanical testing. In this study, a customized atomic force microscope (AFM) is placed inside a scanning electron microscope (SEM) in order to locate the position of the nanowires. The tip of the atomic force microscope cantilever is utilized to bend and break the nanowires. The nanowires are prepared by electroplating of nickel ions into the nanoscale pores of the alumina membranes. Force versus bending displacement responses of these nanowires are measured experimentally and then compared against those of the finite element analysis and peridynamic simulations to extract their mechanical properties through an inverse approach. The average elastic modulus of nickel nanowires, which are extracted using finite element analysis and peridynamic simulations, varies between 220 GPa and 225 GPa. The elastic modulus of bulk nickel published in the literature is comparable to that of nickel nanowires. This observation agrees well with the previous findings on nanowires stating that the elastic modulus of nanowires with diameters over 100nm is similar to that of bulk counterparts. The average yield stress of nickel nanowires, which are extracted using finite element analysis and peridynamic simulations, is found to be between 3.6 GPa to 4.1 GPa. The average value of yield stress of nickel nanowires with 250nm diameter is significantly higher than that of bulk nickel. Higher yield stress of nickel nanowires observed in this study can be explained by the lower defect density of nickel nanowires when compared to their bulk counterparts. Deviation in the extracted mechanical properties is investigated by analyzing the major sources of uncertainty in the experimental procedure. The effects of the nanowire orientation, the loading position and the nanowire diameter on the mechanical test results are quantified using ANSYS simulations. Among all of these three sources of uncertainty investigated, the nanowire diameter has been found to have the most significant effect on the extracted mechanical properties.

Polycaprolactone nanowire surfaces as interfaces for cardiovascular applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leszczak, Victoria

Cardiovascular disease is the leading killer of people worldwide. Current treatments include organ transplants, surgery, metabolic products and mechanical/synthetic implants. Of these, mechanical and synthetic implants are the most promising. However, rejection of cardiovascular implants continues to be a problem, eliciting a need for understanding the mechanisms behind tissue-material interaction. Recently, bioartificial implants, consisting of synthetic tissue engineering scaffolds and cells, have shown great promise for cardiovascular repair. An ideal cardiovascular implant surface must be capable of adhering cells and providing appropriate physiological responses while the native tissue integrates with the scaffold. However, the success of these implants is not only dependent on tissue integration but also hemocompatibility (interaction of material with blood components), a property that depends on the surface of the material. A thorough understanding of the interaction of cardiovascular cells and whole blood and its components with the material surface is essential in order to have a successful application which promotes healing as well as native tissue integration and regeneration. The purpose of this research is to study polymeric nanowire surfaces as potential interfaces for cardiovascular applications by investigating cellular response as well as hemocompatibility.

The Complete Reconfiguration of Dendritic Gold

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paneru, Govind; Flanders, Bret

2014-03-01

Reconfigurability-by-design is an important strategy in modern materials science, as materials with this capability could potentially be used to confer hydrophobic, lipophobic, or anti-corrosive character to substrates in a regenerative manner. The present work extends the directed electrochemical nanowire assembly (DENA) methodology, which is a technique that employs alternating voltages to grow single crystalline metallic nanowires and nano-dendrites from simple salt solutions, to enable the complete dissolution of macroscopic arrays of metallic dendrites following their growth. Our main finding is that structural reconfiguration of dendritic gold is induced by changes in the MHz-level frequencies of voltages that are applied to the dendrites. Cyclic voltammetry and micro-Raman spectroscopy have been used to show that dendritic gold grows and dissolves by the same chemical mechanisms as bulk gold. Hence, the redox chemistry that occurs at the crystal-solution interface is no different than the established electrochemistry of gold. What differs in this process and allows for reconfiguration to occur is the diffusive behavior of the gold chloride molecules in the solution adjacent to the interface. We will present a simple model that captures the physics of this behavior.

Scenarios of stable Vapor→Liquid Droplet→Solid Nanowire growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nebol`sin, Valery A.; Dunaev, Alexander I.; Tatarenkov, Alexander F.; Shmakova, Svetlana S.

2016-09-01

In the process of Nanowire (NW) growth under the Vapor→Liquid Droplet→Solid (VLS) scheme, the stages that reach the boundary of the crystallization front (the triple phase line (TPL)) under the droplet of the catalyst are either absorbed by the TPL, or accumulate ahead of it. It has been shown that, in the first case, TPL can release stages, which leads to a decrease in supersaturation necessary for NW growth. An equation has been derived, which defines the change in free surface energy of the three-phase system in the absorption (release) of a stage, being a function of the contact angle of the droplet, and the ratio between the phase conjugation angles interface at equilibrium shift in the boundary line. A thermodynamic model has been developed and three possible scenarios for sustainable NW growth: Non-Wetting, Wetting and Fully Wetting have been considered in accordance with the processes occurring at the interface of three phases. The results obtained for each scenario were used to analyze the polytypism of GaAs and InAs NW, the radial periodic instability of Si NW and the formation of "negative" NW.

Unidirectional endotaxial cobalt di-silicide nanowires on Si(110) substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahato, J. C.; Das, Debolina; Banu, Nasrin; Satpati, Biswarup; Dev, B. N.

2017-10-01

Self-organized growth of well-ordered endotaxial silicide nanowires (NWs) on clean Si(110) surfaces has been investigated by in situ scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Co deposition on clean Si(110) reconstructed surfaces at ∼600 °C produces unidirectional CoSi2 NWs by reaction of cobalt with the hot silicon substrate. STM investigations reveal four major types of distinct NWs, all growing along the [-110] in-plane direction except one type growing along the in-plane [-113] direction. There are also some nanodots. The cross-sectional TEM measurements show that the unidirectional NWs are of two types—flat-top and ridged. The NWs grow not only on the substrate but also into the substrate. CoSi2 in flat top NWs are in the same crystallographic orientation as the substrate Si and the buried interfaces between CoSi2 and Si are A-type. In the ridged NWs CoSi2 and Si are in different crystallographic orientations and the interfaces are B-type. The ridged NWs are in general wider and grow deeper into the substrate.

Ultracompliant Heterogeneous Copper-Tin Nanowire Arrays Making a Supersolder

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Narumanchi, Sreekant V; Feng, Xuhui; Major, Joshua

Due to the substantial increase in power density, thermal interface resistance that can constitute more than 50% of the total thermal resistance has generally become a bottleneck for thermal management in electronics. However, conventional thermal interface materials (TIMs) such as solder, epoxy, gel, and grease cannot fulfill the requirements of electronics for high-power and long-term operation. Here, we demonstrate a high-performance TIM consisting of a heterogeneous copper-tin nanowire array, which we term 'supersolder' to emulate the role of conventional solders in bonding various surfaces. The supersolder is ultracompliant with a shear modulus 2-3 orders of magnitude lower than traditional soldersmore » and can reduce the thermal resistance by two times as compared with the state-of-the-art TIMs. This supersolder also exhibits excellent long-term reliability with >1200 thermal cycles over a wide temperature range. By resolving this critical thermal bottleneck, the supersolder enables electronic systems, ranging from microelectronics and portable electronics to massive data centers, to operate at lower temperatures with higher power density and reliability.« less

Analysis of the PEDOT:PSS/Si nanowire hybrid solar cell with a tail state model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ho, Kuan-Ying; Li, Chi-Kang; Syu, Hong-Jhang; Lai, Yi; Lin, Ching-Fuh; Wu, Yuh-Renn

2016-12-01

In this paper, the electrical properties of the poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS)/silicon nanowire hybrid solar cell have been analyzed and an optimized structure is proposed. In addition, the planar PEDOT:PSS/c-Si hybrid solar cell is also modeled for comparison. We first developed a simulation software which is capable of modeling organic/inorganic hybrid solar cells by including Gaussian shape density of states into Poisson and drift-diffusion solver to present the tail states and trap states in the organic material. Therefore, the model can handle carrier transport, generation, and recombination in both organic and inorganic materials. Our results show that at the applied voltage near open-circuit voltage (Voc), the recombination rate becomes much higher at the PEDOT:PSS/Si interface region, which limits the fill factor and Voc. Hence, a modified structure with a p-type amorphous silicon (a-Si) layer attached on the interface of Si layer and an n+-type Si layer inserted near the bottom contact are proposed. The highest conversion efficiency of 16.10% can be achieved if both structures are applied.

Unidirectional endotaxial cobalt di-silicide nanowires on Si(110) substrates.

PubMed

Mahato, J C; Das, Debolina; Banu, Nasrin; Satpati, Biswarup; Dev, B N

2017-10-20

Self-organized growth of well-ordered endotaxial silicide nanowires (NWs) on clean Si(110) surfaces has been investigated by in situ scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Co deposition on clean Si(110) reconstructed surfaces at ∼600 °C produces unidirectional CoSi 2 NWs by reaction of cobalt with the hot silicon substrate. STM investigations reveal four major types of distinct NWs, all growing along the [-110] in-plane direction except one type growing along the in-plane [-113] direction. There are also some nanodots. The cross-sectional TEM measurements show that the unidirectional NWs are of two types-flat-top and ridged. The NWs grow not only on the substrate but also into the substrate. CoSi 2 in flat top NWs are in the same crystallographic orientation as the substrate Si and the buried interfaces between CoSi 2 and Si are A-type. In the ridged NWs CoSi 2 and Si are in different crystallographic orientations and the interfaces are B-type. The ridged NWs are in general wider and grow deeper into the substrate.

Plasmonic Behavior of Ag/Dielectric Nanowires and the Effect of Geometry

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-07-01

in- cluding random Ga2O3 nanowires, ZnO nanowires, as well as Au lines produced by e-beam lithography. The growth of the Ga2O3 nanowires was achieved...PLASMONIC PROPERTIES As discussed above, we have developed a SERS substrate, consisting of Ga2O3 nanowire core/Ag metal sheath nano- structures, which have...signal. As is evident, the nanowire composites are about two orders of magnitude more sensitive than the Mesophotonics substrate. Since these Ga2O3 /Ag

Designing Diameter-Modulated Heterostructure Nanowires of PbTe/Te by Controlled Dewetting.

PubMed

Kumar, Abinash; Kundu, Subhajit; Samantaray, Debadarshini; Kundu, Paromita; Zanaga, Daniele; Bals, Sara; Ravishankar, N

2017-12-13

Heterostructures consisting of semiconductors with controlled morphology and interfaces find applications in many fields. A range of axial, radial, and diameter-modulated nanostructures have been synthesized primarily using vapor phase methods. Here, we present a simple wet chemical routine to synthesize heterostructures of PbTe/Te using Te nanowires as templates. A morphology evolution study for the formation of these heterostructures has been performed. On the basis of these control experiments, a pathway for the formation of these nanostructures is proposed. Reduction of a Pb precursor to Pb on Te nanowire templates followed by interdiffusion of Pb/Te leads to the formation of a thin shell of PbTe on the Te wires. Controlled dewetting of the thin shell leads to the formation of cube-shaped PbTe that is periodically arranged on the Te wires. Using control experiments, we show that different reactions parameters like rate of addition of the reducing agent, concentration of Pb precursor and thickness of initial Te nanowire play a critical role in controlling the spacing between the PbTe cubes on the Te wires. Using simple surface energy arguments, we propose a mechanism for the formation of the hybrid. The principles presented are general and can be exploited for the synthesis of other nanoscale heterostructures.

Three-dimensional vertical Si nanowire MOS capacitor model structure for the study of electrical versus geometrical Si nanowire characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hourdakis, E.; Casanova, A.; Larrieu, G.; Nassiopoulou, A. G.

2018-05-01

Three-dimensional (3D) Si surface nanostructuring is interesting towards increasing the capacitance density of a metal-oxidesemiconductor (MOS) capacitor, while keeping reduced footprint for miniaturization. Si nanowires (SiNWs) can be used in this respect. With the aim of understanding the electrical versus geometrical characteristics of such capacitors, we fabricated and studied a MOS capacitor with highly ordered arrays of vertical Si nanowires of different lengths and thermal silicon oxide dielectric, in comparison to similar flat MOS capacitors. The high homogeneity and ordering of the SiNWs allowed the determination of the single SiNW capacitance and intrinsic series resistance, as well as other electrical characteristics (density of interface states, flat-band voltage and leakage current) in relation to the geometrical characteristics of the SiNWs. The SiNW capacitors demonstrated increased capacitance density compared to the flat case, while maintaining a cutoff frequency above 1 MHz, much higher than in other reports in the literature. Finally, our model system has been shown to constitute an excellent platform for the study of SiNW capacitors with either grown or deposited dielectrics, as for example high-k dielectrics for further increasing the capacitance density. This will be the subject of future work.

Computational design of co-assembling protein-DNA nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mou, Yun; Yu, Jiun-Yann; Wannier, Timothy M.; Guo, Chin-Lin; Mayo, Stephen L.

2015-09-01

Biomolecular self-assemblies are of great interest to nanotechnologists because of their functional versatility and their biocompatibility. Over the past decade, sophisticated single-component nanostructures composed exclusively of nucleic acids, peptides and proteins have been reported, and these nanostructures have been used in a wide range of applications, from drug delivery to molecular computing. Despite these successes, the development of hybrid co-assemblies of nucleic acids and proteins has remained elusive. Here we use computational protein design to create a protein-DNA co-assembling nanomaterial whose assembly is driven via non-covalent interactions. To achieve this, a homodimerization interface is engineered onto the Drosophila Engrailed homeodomain (ENH), allowing the dimerized protein complex to bind to two double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) molecules. By varying the arrangement of protein-binding sites on the dsDNA, an irregular bulk nanoparticle or a nanowire with single-molecule width can be spontaneously formed by mixing the protein and dsDNA building blocks. We characterize the protein-DNA nanowire using fluorescence microscopy, atomic force microscopy and X-ray crystallography, confirming that the nanowire is formed via the proposed mechanism. This work lays the foundation for the development of new classes of protein-DNA hybrid materials. Further applications can be explored by incorporating DNA origami, DNA aptamers and/or peptide epitopes into the protein-DNA framework presented here.

Homoepitaxial n-core: p-shell gallium nitride nanowires: HVPE overgrowth on MBE nanowires.

PubMed

Sanders, Aric; Blanchard, Paul; Bertness, Kris; Brubaker, Matthew; Dodson, Christopher; Harvey, Todd; Herrero, Andrew; Rourke, Devin; Schlager, John; Sanford, Norman; Chiaramonti, Ann N; Davydov, Albert; Motayed, Abhishek; Tsvetkov, Denis

2011-11-18

We present the homoepitaxial growth of p-type, magnesium doped gallium nitride shells by use of halide vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) on n-type gallium nitride nanowires grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Scanning electron microscopy shows clear dopant contrast between the core and shell of the nanowire. The growth of magnesium doped nanowire shells shows little or no effect on the lattice parameters of the underlying nanowires, as measured by x-ray diffraction (XRD). Photoluminescence measurements of the nanowires show the appearance of sub-bandgap features in the blue and the ultraviolet, indicating the presence of acceptors. Finally, electrical measurements confirm the presence of electrically active holes in the nanowires.

Influence of surface diffusion on the formation of hollow nanostructures induced by the Kirkendall effect: the basic concept.

PubMed

Fan, Hong Jin; Knez, Mato; Scholz, Roland; Hesse, Dietrich; Nielsch, Kornelius; Zacharias, Margit; Gösele, Ulrich

2007-04-01

The Kirkendall effect has been widely applied for fabrication of nanoscale hollow structures, which involves an unbalanced counterdiffusion through a reaction interface. Conventional treatment of this process only considers the bulk diffusion of growth species and vacancies. In this letter, a conceptual extension is proposed: the development of the hollow interior undergoes two main stages. The initial stage is the generation of small Kirkendall voids intersecting the compound interface via a bulk diffusion process; the second stage is dominated by surface diffusion of the core material (viz., the fast-diffusing species) along the pore surface. This concept applies to spherical as well as cylindrical nanometer and microscale structures, and even to macroscopic bilayers. As supporting evidence, we show the results of a spinel-forming solid-state reaction of core-shell nanowires, as well as of a planar bilayer of ZnO-Al2O3 to illustrate the influence of surface diffusion on the morphology evolution.

Surface profile control of FeNiPt/Pt core/shell nanowires for oxygen reduction reaction

DOE PAGES

Zhu, Huiyuan; Zhang, Sen; Su, Dong; ...

2015-03-18

The ever-increasing energy demand requires renewable energy schemes with low environmental impacts. Electrochemical energy conversion devices, such as fuel cells, combine fuel oxidization and oxygen reduction reactions and have been studied extensively for renewable energy applications. However, their energy conversion efficiency is often limited by kinetically sluggish chemical conversion reactions, especially oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). [1-5] To date, extensive efforts have been put into developing efficient ORR catalysts with controls on catalyst sizes, compositions, shapes and structures. [6-12] Recently, Pt-based catalysts with core/shell and one-dimensional nanowire (NW) morphologies were found to be promising to further enhance ORR catalysis.more » With the core/shell structure, the ORR catalysis of a nanoparticle (NP) catalyst can be tuned by both electronic and geometric effects at the core/shell interface. [10,13,14] With the NW structure, the catalyst interaction with the conductive support can be enhanced to facilitate electron transfer between the support and the NW catalyst and to promote ORR. [11,15,16]« less

Pt/ZnO nanoarray nanogenerator as self-powered active gas sensor with linear ethanol sensing at room temperature.

PubMed

Zhao, Yayu; Lai, Xuan; Deng, Ping; Nie, Yuxin; Zhang, Yan; Xing, Lili; Xue, Xinyu

2014-03-21

A self-powered gas sensor that can actively detect ethanol at room temperature has been realized from a Pt/ZnO nanoarray nanogenerator. Pt nanoparticles are uniformly distributed on the whole surface of ZnO nanowires. The piezoelectric output of Pt/ZnO nanoarrays can act not only as a power source, but also as a response signal to ethanol at room temperature. Upon exposure to dry air and 1500 ppm ethanol at room temperature, the piezoelectric output of the device under the same compressive strain is 0.672 and 0.419 V, respectively. Moreover, a linear dependence of the sensitivity on the ethanol concentration is observed. Such a linear ethanol sensing at room temperature can be attributed to the atmosphere-dependent variety of the screen effect on the piezoelectric output of ZnO nanowires, the catalytic properties of Pt nanoparticles, and the Schottky barriers at Pt/ZnO interfaces. The present results can stimulate research in the direction of designing new material systems for self-powered room-temperature gas sensing.

The determination of modified barrier heights in Ti/GaN nano-Schottky diodes at high temperature.

PubMed

Lee, Seung-Yong; Kim, Tae-Hong; Chol, Nam-Kyu; Seong, Han-Kyu; Choi, Heon-Jin; Ahn, Byung-Guk; Lee, Sang-Kwon

2008-10-01

We have investigated the size-effect of the nano-Schottky diodes on the electrical transport properties and the temperature-dependent current transport mechanism in a metal-semiconductor nanowire junction (a Ti/GaN nano-Schottky diode) using current-voltage characterization in the range of 300-423 K. We found that the modified mean Schottky barrier height (SBH) was approximately 0.7 eV with a standard deviation of approximately 0.14 V using a Gaussian distribution model of the barrier heights. The slightly high value of the modified mean SBH (approximately 0.11 eV) compared to the results from the thin-film based Ti/GaN Schottky diodes could be due to an additional oxide layer at the interface between the Ti and GaN nanowires. Moreover, we found that the abnormal behavior of the barrier heights and the ideality factors in a Ti/GaN nano-Schottky diode at a temperature below 423 K could be explained by a combination of the enhancement of the tunneling current and a model with a Gaussian distribution of the barrier heights.

Impact of isotopic disorders on thermal transport properties of nanotubes and nanowires

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sun, Tao; Kang, Wei; Wang, Jianxiang, E-mail: jxwang@pku.edu.cn

2015-01-21

We present a one-dimensional lattice model to describe thermal transport in isotopically doped nanotubes and nanowires. The thermal conductivities thus predicted, as a function of isotopic concentration, agree well with recent experiments and other simulations. Our results display that for any given concentration of isotopic atoms in a lattice without sharp atomic interfaces, the maximum thermal conductivity is attained when isotopic atoms are placed regularly with an equal space, whereas the minimum is achieved when they are randomly inserted with a uniform distribution. Non-uniformity of disorder can further tune the thermal conductivity between the two values. Moreover, the dependence ofmore » the thermal conductivity on the nanoscale feature size becomes weak at low temperature when disorder exists. In addition, when self-consistent thermal reservoirs are included to describe diffusive nanomaterials, the thermal conductivities predicted by our model are in line with the results of macroscopic theories with an interfacial effect. Our results suggest that the disorder provides an additional freedom to tune the thermal properties of nanomaterials in many technological applications including nanoelectronics, solid-state lighting, energy conservation, and conversion.« less

Effect of gate bias sweep rate on the threshold voltage of in-plane gate nanowire transistor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, H. X.; Li, J.; Tan, R. R.

2018-01-01

In2O3 nanowire electric-double-layer (EDL) transistors with in-plane gate gated by SiO2 solid-electrolyte are fabricated on transparent glass substrates. The gate voltage sweep rates can effectively modulate the threshold voltage (Vth) of nanowire device. Both depletion mode and enhancement mode are realized, and the Vth shift of the nanowire transistors is estimated to be 0.73V (without light). This phenomenon is due to increased adsorption of oxygen on the nanowire surface by the slower gate voltage sweep rates. Adsorbed oxygens capture electrons and cause a surface of nanowire channel was depleted. The operation voltage of transistor was 1.0 V, because the EDL gate dielectric can lead to high gate dielectric capacitance. These transparent in-plane gate nanowire transistors are promising for “see-through” nanoscale sensors.

Silicon nanowire photodetectors made by metal-assisted chemical etching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Ying; Ni, Chuan; Sarangan, Andrew

2016-09-01

Silicon nanowires have unique optical effects, and have potential applications in photodetectors. They can exhibit simple optical effects such as anti-reflection, but can also produce quantum confined effects. In this work, we have fabricated silicon photodetectors, and then post-processed them by etching nanowires on the incident surface. These nanowires were produced by a wet-chemical etching process known as the metal-assisted-chemical etching, abbreviated as MACE. N-type silicon substrates were doped by thermal diffusion from a solid ceramic source, followed by etching, patterning and contact metallization. The detectors were first tested for functionality and optical performance. The nanowires were then made by depositing an ultra-thin film of gold below its percolation thickness to produce an interconnected porous film. This was then used as a template to etch high aspect ratio nanowires into the face of the detectors with a HF:H2O2 mixture.

Evaluating focused ion beam patterning for position-controlled nanowire growth using computer vision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mosberg, A. B.; Myklebost, S.; Ren, D.; Weman, H.; Fimland, B. O.; van Helvoort, A. T. J.

2017-09-01

To efficiently evaluate the novel approach of focused ion beam (FIB) direct patterning of substrates for nanowire growth, a reference matrix of hole arrays has been used to study the effect of ion fluence and hole diameter on nanowire growth. Self-catalyzed GaAsSb nanowires were grown using molecular beam epitaxy and studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). To ensure an objective analysis, SEM images were analyzed with computer vision to automatically identify nanowires and characterize each array. It is shown that FIB milling parameters can be used to control the nanowire growth. Lower ion fluence and smaller diameter holes result in a higher yield (up to 83%) of single vertical nanowires, while higher fluence and hole diameter exhibit a regime of multiple nanowires. The catalyst size distribution and placement uniformity of vertical nanowires is best for low-value parameter combinations, indicating how to improve the FIB parameters for positioned-controlled nanowire growth.

Surface effect on resonant properties of nanowires predicted by an elastic theory for nanomaterials

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yao, Yin; Chen, Shaohua, E-mail: chenshaohua72@hotmail.com, E-mail: shchen@LNM.imech.ac.cn

2015-07-28

A recently developed continuum theory considering surface effect in nanomaterials is adopted to investigate the resonant properties of nanowires with different boundary conditions in the present paper. The main feature of the adopted theory is that the surface effect in nanomaterials is characterized by the surface energy density of the corresponding bulk materials and the surface relaxation parameter in nanoscale. Based on a fixed-fixed beam model and a cantilever one, the governing equation of resonant frequency for corresponding nanowires is obtained. Numerical calculation of the fundamental resonant frequency is carried out, the result of which is well consistent with themore » existing numerical ones. Comparing to the result predicted by the conventionally structural dynamics, the resonant frequency of a fixed-fixed nanowire is improved, while that of a cantilever nanowire is weakened due to the surface effect. Both a decreasing characteristic size (height or diameter) and an increasing aspect ratio could further enhance the varying trend of resonant properties for both kinds of nanowires. The present result should be helpful for the design of nano-devices and nanostructures related to nanowires.« less

Electrostatics of Nanowire Radial p-n Heterojunctions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borblik, Vitalii

2018-04-01

The electrostatics of a nanowire radial heterostructure p-n junction is considered theoretically. It is shown that when the radius of the core-shell interface decreases, depletion width of the core increases, but depletion width of the shell, on the contrary, decreases. This is the consequence of cylindrical symmetry of the structure. Thereby, the relative contribution from the constituent materials into performance characteristics of the devices, which use a heterostructure p-n junction, changes substantially. Values of the depletion widths in the heterostructure p-n junction prove to be intermediate between those in radial homostructure p-n junctions made of the constituent materials at the same doping levels. An analogous situation takes place for a barrier capacitance of the radial heterostructure p-n junction.

Current Approach in Surface Plasmons for Thin Film and Wire Array Solar Cell Applications

PubMed Central

Zhou, Keya; Guo, Zhongyi; Liu, Shutian; Lee, Jung-Ho

2015-01-01

Surface plasmons, which exist along the interface of a metal and a dielectric, have been proposed as an efficient alternative method for light trapping in solar cells during the past ten years. With unique properties such as superior light scattering, optical trapping, guide mode coupling, near field concentration, and hot-electron generation, metallic nanoparticles or nanostructures can be tailored to a certain geometric design to enhance solar cell conversion efficiency and to reduce the material costs. In this article, we review current approaches on different kinds of solar cells, such as crystalline silicon (c-Si) and amorphous silicon (a-Si) thin film solar cells, organic solar cells, nanowire array solar cells, and single nanowire solar cells. PMID:28793457

Analytic drain current model for III-V cylindrical nanowire transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marin, E. G.; Ruiz, F. G.; Schmidt, V.; Godoy, A.; Riel, H.; Gámiz, F.

2015-07-01

An analytical model is proposed to determine the drain current of III-V cylindrical nanowires (NWs). The model uses the gradual channel approximation and takes into account the complete analytical solution of the Poisson and Schrödinger equations for the Γ-valley and for an arbitrary number of subbands. Fermi-Dirac statistics are considered to describe the 1D electron gas in the NWs, being the resulting recursive Fermi-Dirac integral of order -1/2 successfully integrated under reasonable assumptions. The model has been validated against numerical simulations showing excellent agreement for different semiconductor materials, diameters up to 40 nm, gate overdrive biases up to 0.7 V, and densities of interface states up to 1013eV-1cm-2 .

Synthesis and magnetic properties of bundled and dispersed Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanowires

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, B.B.; Wang, P.F.; Xu, J.C.

Highlights: • Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanowires possessed the same diameter and the different interwires distance. • All samples possessed antiferromagnetism and superparamagnetism at high temperature. • The exchange bias effect was observed at low temperature. • The surface spin coupling restrained the surface effect of magnetic nanostructures. - Abstract: The magnetic Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanowires were synthesized using the templates of SBA-15, and then the well-dispersed nanowires (D-wires) were separated from the bundled ordered nanowires (B-wires) with the centrifugal technique. TEM images indicated that D-wires were highly dispersed Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanowires and B-wires existed in bundles. All samples possessedmore » the antiferromagnetism and superparamagnetism at high temperature. After revealing the intrinsic magnetic properties of Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanowires with D-wires, the magnetic behavior of B-wires was discussed in detail, and then the magnetic interaction between neighboring nanowires could be deduced. The exchange bias effect from the body Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} antiferromagnetism and surface ferromagnetism was observed at low temperature. The magnetization of B-wires was higher than that of D-wires, which was attributed to the constraint of the surface spin coupling between the neighboring nanowires to the surface affect of nanostructures.« less

Development of self-assembling nanowires containing electronically active oligothiophenes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsai, Wei-Wen

This dissertation discusses the development of conductive one-dimensional nanowires from self-assembling oligothiophene molecules. Self-assembly has been demonstrated to be a promising alternative approach towards high performance, solution processable, and low-cost organic electronics. One of the many challenges in this field is the control of supramolecular morphologies of ordered structures containing pi-conjugated moieties. This research demonstrated several successful strategies to achieve self assembly of conductive nanowires using synergistic interactions combining pi stacking and hydrogen bonding. The first approach used was to develop a hairpin-shaped sexithiophene molecule, which features two arms of the conjugated structure. The diamidocyclohexyl headgroup of this molecule successfully directs the self-assembly from hydrogen bonding among the amides, forming high-aspect-ratio one-dimensional nanowires with well-defined diameters of 3.0 +/- 0.3 nm. The molecular orientation in the nanostructures promotes formation of sexithiophene H and J aggregates that facilitate efficient charge transport. Organic field-effect transistors were fabricated to reveal improved intrinsic hole mobility from films of the nanostructures, 3.46 x 10-6 cm2V-1s-1, which is one order of magnitude higher than films cast from unassembled molecules. Bulk heterojunction solar cells were developed from this molecule and fullerenes utilizing solution-phase fabrication methods. Intimate mix of the molecule and phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester creates structured interfaces for efficient exciton splitting. The charge carrier mobilities of each material are improved by self-assembly in solution and thermal-energy assisted phase separation.The photovoltaic devices achieved the highest open-circuit voltage of 0.62 V, short-circuit current of 1.79 mA/cm2, fill factor of 35%, and power conversion efficiency of 0.48%. Another strategy to one-dimensional nanowires studied here involved the modification of a class of peptide lipids. The tripeptide segments in the molecular structure promote beta-sheet formation in nonpolar organic solvents, which is the main driving force for their self-assembly into 1D nanowires. Left-handed helical nanowires were formed with diameters of 8.9 nm and pitches between 50--150 nm. Substitutions of oligothiophenes lead to unprecedented supercoiling phenomena manifested as the transformation from helical to coiled or curved nanowires. We proposed that the curving of the nanowires is the consequence of relaxation from torsionally strained nanohelices, a process similar to supercoiling of strained DNA double helix. This process is governed by the mismatch in intermolecular distances required for peptide beta-sheets vs. pi-pi interactions of the conjugated segments decorating the periphery of the nanowires. Circular dichroism revealed helical arrangements of the conjugated moieties in these peptide lipids manifesting supercoiling phenomena. Peptide lipids without helical arrangement of the conjugated segments only exhibit helical morphologies. The self-assembly process of peptide lipids also leads to hierarchical assemblies of energetically favored single, double, and triple-helical nanostructures with well-defined dimensions. Self-assembled nanowires from oligothiophene-substituted peptide lipids revealed increased conductivity of 1.39--1.41 x 10-5 S/cm, two orders of magnitude higher than unassembled films and one order of magnitude higher than unsubstituted peptide lipids. The role of the primary beta-helix in controlling supramolecular organization was investigated by varying the chirality of the tripeptide segments, GAA. Four diastereomers of a peptide lipid substituted with p-toluene carboxylates were compared using L or D-alanines. Molecules with all L residues self-assemble into left-handed helical nanofibers with a pitch of 160 +/- 30 nm. Substitution of one or two D-alanines leads to assemblies of cylindrical nanofibers without any twisting, left-handed helices with smaller pitches (40 +/- 6 nm), or aggregates without regular shapes. We believe these effects are steric in nature that changes the beta-sheet sub-structure within the nanofibers. These principles could be utilized as strategies to optimize the morphologies and properties of nanostructures based on these amphiphilic molecules.

Organic-inorganic hybrid nanostructures for solar cell applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

AbdulAlmohsin, Samir M.

The enticing electro-optical properties of nanostructured materials such as carbon nanotubes, graphene, CdS nanocrystals and ZnO nanowrie bring new vigor into the innovation of photovoltaics. The main purpose of this dissertation is to develop novel nano-structured materials for low cost solar cell applications. Fabrication, characterization, and solar cell application of organic-inorganic hybrid structures are the main focus of this research. Polyaniline (PANI)/multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWNT) composite films were synthesized by an electrochemical polymerization of aniline with airbrushed MWNTs on ITO substrates. It was found that the incorporation of MWNTs in PANI effectively increase the film conductivity with a percolation threshold of 5% of nanotubes in the composite. The solar cell performance strongly depends on the conductivity of the composite films, which can be tuned by adjusting nanotube concentration. A higher conductivity resulted in a better cell performance, resulting from an efficient charge collection. This study indicates that PANI/MWNT composite films with optimized conductivity are potentially useful for low-cost hybrid solar cell applications. CdS nanocrystal-sensitized solar cells (NCSSCs) were investigated by using polyaniline (PANI) as a replacement for conventional platinum counter electrode. The growth time of the nanocrystals significantly affects the solar cell performance. At an optimum growth, the NCSSCs exhibit 0.83% of the conversion efficiency in comparison to 0.13% for the identical cells without CdS nanocrystals. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy showed that the charge transfer in the solar cells with CdS nanocrystals was improved. The enhanced overall energy conversion efficiency by nanocrystals is attributed to improved light absorption and suppressed recombination rate of interfacial charges at the injection, resulting in significantly improved charge transfer and electron lifetime. In addition, the PANI electrodes with large surface area and ideal corrosion-inertness toward polysulfide redox exhibit promising application potential as a counter electrode for NCSSCs. This study demonstrates that the solution grown CdS nanocrystals and polyaniline are potentially useful for fabricating high performance NCSSCs, which is technically attractive for large scale and economic production. A hybrid structure containing graphene-enriched poly (3-hexylthiophene) (G-P3HT) or poly (3-hexylthiophene):(6, 6)-phenyl C60 butyric acid methyl esterand tetra (4-carboxyphenyle) porphyrin-grafted ZnO nanowire arrays was investigated for nanowire/polymer hybrid solar cells. The vertically aligned nanowires embedded in the organic films act as an active n-type semiconductor and a high-efficiency charge collection electrode. The grafting surface of ZnO nanowires by porphyrin was found to significantly improve the cell efficiency as compared with those using pristine ZnO nanowires. The improvement is attributed to the enhanced light harvesting and charge injection with the presence of porphyrin at the junction interface. A comparison study showed that the use of G-P3HT further increase the efficiency of the nanowire solar cells from 0.09 to 0.4%, benefiting from the improved hole collection with graphene in the polymer. This study indicates that hybrid structure comprising surface modified, vertically aligned ZnO nanowire arrays embedded in G-P3HT is promising for solar cell applications. A combination of bulk heterojunction of P3HT: PCBM with ZnO nanorod arrays was also studied for solar cell applications. In the P3HT: PCBM devices, electron donors such as poly (3-hexythiophene) (P3HT) and acceptors as (6, 6)-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) are blended to form one mixed layer (a bulk heterojunction). The charge separation of photo-induced excitons is greatly enhanced by ultra-fast electron transfer and large interface between the two components. However, the charge collection is one of the main limitations for improving cell efficiency. In this study, ZnO nanowire arrys have been used to facilitate efficient charge collection electrodes for improving the energy conversion efficiency.

Synthetic Nanoelectronic Probes for Biological Cells and Tissue

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Research at the interface between nanoscience and biology has the potential to produce breakthroughs in fundamental science and lead to revolutionary technologies. In this review, we focus on nanoelectronic/biological interfaces. First, we discuss nanoscale field effect transistors (nanoFETs) as probes to study cellular systems, including the realization of nanoFET comparable in size to biological nanostructures involved in communication using synthesized nanowires. Second, we overview current progress in multiplexed extracellular sensing using planar nanoFET arrays. Third, we describe the design and implementation of three distinct nanoFETs used to realize the first intracellular electrical recording from single cells. Fourth, we present recent progress in merging electronic and biological systems at the 3D tissue level by using macroporous nanoelectronic scaffolds. Finally, we discuss future development in this research area, the unique challenges and opportunities, and the tremendous impact these nanoFET based technologies might have in advancing biology and medical sciences. PMID:23451719

Analysis of effect of nanoporous alumina substrate coated with polypyrrole nanowire on cell morphology based on AFM topography.

PubMed

El-Said, Waleed Ahmed; Yea, Cheol-Heon; Jung, Mi; Kim, Hyuncheol; Choi, Jeong-Woo

2010-05-01

In this study, in situ electrochemical synthesis of polypyrrole nanowires with nanoporous alumina template was described. The formation of highly ordered porous alumina substrate was demonstrated with Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). In addition, Fourier transform infrared analysis confirmed that polypyrrole (PP) nanowires were synthesized by direct electrochemical oxidation of pyrrole. HeLa cancer cells and HMCF normal cells were immobilized on the polypyrrole nanowires/nanoporous alumina substrates to determine the effects of the substrate on the cell morphology, adhesion and proliferation as well as the biocompatibility of the substrate. Cell adhesion and proliferation were characterized using a standard MTT assay. The effects of the polypyrrole nanowires/nanoporous alumina substrate on the cell morphology were studied by AFM. The nanoporous alumina coated with polypyrrole nanowires was found to exhibit better cell adhesion and proliferation than polystyrene petridish, aluminum foil, 1st anodized and uncoated 2nd anodized alumina substrate. This study showed the potential of the polypyrrole nanowires/nanoporous alumina substrate as biocompatibility electroactive polymer substrate for both healthy and cancer cell cultures applications.

Electrodeposited highly-ordered manganese oxide nanowire arrays for supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Haifeng; Lu, Bingqiang; Wei, Shuiqiang; Bao, Mi; Wen, Yanxuan; Wang, Fan

2012-07-01

Large arrays of well-aligned Mn oxide nanowires were prepared by electrodeposition using anodic aluminum oxide templates. The sizes of nanowires were tuned by varying the electrotype solution involved and the MnO2 nanowires with 10 μm in length were obtained in a neutral KMnO4 bath for 1 h. MnO2 nanowire arrays grown on conductor substance save the tedious electrode-making process, and electrochemical characterization demonstrates that the MnO2 nanowire arrays electrode has good capacitive behavior. Due to the limited mass transportation in narrow spacing, the spacing effects between the neighbor nanowires have show great influence to the electrochemical performance.

Fabrication and optical property of metal nanowire arrays embedded in anodic porous alumina membrane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takase, Kouichi; Shimizu, Tomohiro; Sugawa, Kosuke; Aono, Takashige; Shirai, Yuma; Nishida, Tomohiko; Shingubara, Shoso

2016-06-01

Nanowires embedded in nanopores are potentially tough against surface scraping and agglomeration. In this study, we have fabricated Au and Ni nanowires embedded into anodic porous alumina (APA) and investigated their reflectance to study the effects of surface plasmon absorption properties and conversion from solar energy to thermal energy. Au nanowires embedded into APA show typical gold surface plasmon absorption at approximately 530 nm. On the other hand, Ni nanowires show quite a low reflectance under 600 nm. In the temperature elevation test, both Au and Ni nanowire samples present the same capability to warm up water. It means that Ni nanowires embedded into APA have almost the same photothermal activity as Au nanowires.

Effects of temperature, loading rate and nanowire length on torsional deformation and mechanical properties of aluminium nanowires investigated using molecular dynamics simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sung, Po-Hsien; Wu, Cheng-Da; Fang, Te-Hua

2012-05-01

Single-crystal aluminium nanowires under torsion are studied using molecular dynamics simulations based on the many-body tight-binding potential. The effects of temperature, loading rate and nanowire length are evaluated in terms of atomic trajectories, potential energy, von Mises stress, a centrosymmetry parameter, torque, shear modulus and radial distribution function. Simulation results clearly show that torsional deformation begins at the surface, extends close to the two ends and finally diffuses to the middle part. The critical torsional angle which represents the beginning of plastic deformation varies with different conditions. Before the critical torsional angle is reached, the potential energy and the torque required for the deformation of a nanowire significantly increase with the torsional angle. The critical torsional angle increases with increasing nanowire length and loading rate and decreasing temperature. The torque required for the deformation decreases and the shear modulus increases with increasing nanowire length. For higher temperatures and higher loading rates, torsional buckling more easily occurs at the two ends of a nanowire, whereas it occurs towards the middle part at or below room temperature with lower loading rates. Geometry instability occurs before material instability (buckling) for a long nanowire.

Magneto-optical spectrum and the effective excitonic Zeeman splitting energies of Mn and Co-doped CdSe nanowires

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xiong, Wen, E-mail: wenxiong@cqu.edu.cn; Chen, Wensuo

2013-12-21

The electronic structure of Mn and Co-doped CdSe nanowires are calculated based on the six-band k·p effective-mass theory. Through the calculation, it is found that the splitting energies of the degenerate hole states in Mn-doped CdSe nanowires are larger than that in Co-doped CdSe nanowires when the concentration of these two kinds of magnetic ions is the same. In order to analysis the magneto-optical spectrum of Mn and Co-doped CdSe nanowires, the four lowest electron states and the four highest hole states are sorted when the magnetic field is applied, and the 10 lowest optical transitions between the conduction subbandsmore » and the valence subbands at the Γ point in Mn and Co-doped CdSe nanowires are shown in the paper, it is found that the order of the optical transitions at the Γ point almost do not change although two different kinds of magnetic ions are doped in CdSe nanowires. Finally, the effective excitonic Zeeman splitting energies at the Γ point are found to increase almost linearly with the increase of the concentration of the magnetic ions and the magnetic field; meanwhile, the giant positive effective excitonic g factors in Mn and Co-doped CdSe nanowires are predicted based on our theoretical calculation.« less

Tunable, flexible antireflection layer of ZnO nanowires embedded in PDMS.

PubMed

Kim, Min Kyu; Yi, Dong Kee; Paik, Ungyu

2010-05-18

In this article, we report the fabrication of ordered hybrid structures composed of ZnO nanowires and a polymeric matrix with a polymer precursor infiltrating the nanowire arrays. The antireflective properties of the resulting ZnO nanowire-embedded polydimethylsiloxane composite (ZPC) were investigated at various ZnO nanowire lengths and ZPC bending angles. Interestingly, we found that whereas the antireflective properties showed a strong dependence on the length of the embedded ZnO nanowires in PDMS, the bending of ZPC has little effect on the antireflective properties.

Direct observation of single-charge-detection capability of nanowire field-effect transistors.

PubMed

Salfi, J; Savelyev, I G; Blumin, M; Nair, S V; Ruda, H E

2010-10-01

A single localized charge can quench the luminescence of a semiconductor nanowire, but relatively little is known about the effect of single charges on the conductance of the nanowire. In one-dimensional nanostructures embedded in a material with a low dielectric permittivity, the Coulomb interaction and excitonic binding energy are much larger than the corresponding values when embedded in a material with the same dielectric permittivity. The stronger Coulomb interaction is also predicted to limit the carrier mobility in nanowires. Here, we experimentally isolate and study the effect of individual localized electrons on carrier transport in InAs nanowire field-effect transistors, and extract the equivalent charge sensitivity. In the low carrier density regime, the electrostatic potential produced by one electron can create an insulating weak link in an otherwise conducting nanowire field-effect transistor, modulating its conductance by as much as 4,200% at 31 K. The equivalent charge sensitivity, 4 × 10(-5) e Hz(-1/2) at 25 K and 6 × 10(-5) e Hz(-1/2) at 198 K, is orders of magnitude better than conventional field-effect transistors and nanoelectromechanical systems, and is just a factor of 20-30 away from the record sensitivity for state-of-the-art single-electron transistors operating below 4 K (ref. 8). This work demonstrates the feasibility of nanowire-based single-electron memories and illustrates a physical process of potential relevance for high performance chemical sensors. The charge-state-detection capability we demonstrate also makes the nanowire field-effect transistor a promising host system for impurities (which may be introduced intentionally or unintentionally) with potentially long spin lifetimes, because such transistors offer more sensitive spin-to-charge conversion readout than schemes based on conventional field-effect transistors.

Electrical and Optical Characterization of Nanowire based Semiconductor Devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ayvazian, Talin

This research project is focused on a new strategy for the creation of nanowire based semiconductor devices. The main goal is to understand and optimize the electrical and optical properties of two types of nanoscale devices; in first type lithographically patterned nanowire electrodeposition (LPNE) method has been utilized to fabricate nanowire field effect transistors (NWFET) and second type involved the development of light emitting semiconductor nanowire arrays (NWLED). Field effect transistors (NWFETs) have been prepared from arrays of polycrystalline cadmium selenide (pc-CdSe) nanowires using a back gate configuration. pc-CdSe nanowires were fabricated using the lithographically patterned nanowire electrode- position (LPNE) process on SiO2 /Si substrates. After electrodeposition, pc-CdSe nanowires were thermally annealed at 300 °C x 4 h either with or without exposure to CdCl 2 in methanol a grain growth promoter. The influence of CdCl2 treatment was to increase the mean grain diameter as determined by X-ray diffraction pattern and to convert the crystal structure from cubic to wurtzite. Transfer characteristics showed an increase of the field effect mobility (mu eff) by an order of magnitude and increase of the Ion/I off ratio by a factor of 3-4. Light emitting devices (NW-LED) based on lithographically patterned pc-CdSe nanowire arrays have been investigated. Electroluminescence (EL) spectra of CdSe nanowires under various biases exhibited broad emission spectra centered at 750 nm close to the band gap of CdSe (1.7eV). To enhance the intensity of the emitted light and the external quantum efficiency (EQE), the distance between the contacts were reduced from 5 mum to less than 1 mum which increased the efficiency by an order of magnitude. Also, increasing the annealing temperature of nanowires from 300 °C x4 h to 450 This research project is focused on a new strategy for the creation of nanowire based semiconductor devices. The main goal is to understand and optimize the electrical and optical properties of two types of nanoscale devices; in first type lithographically patterned nanowire electrodeposition (LPNE) method has been utilized to fabricate nanowire field effect transistors (NWFET) and second type involved the development of light emitting semiconductor nanowire arrays (NWLED). Field effect transistors (NWFETs) have been prepared from arrays of polycrystalline cadmium selenide (pc-CdSe) nanowires using a back gate configuration. pc-CdSe nanowires were fabricated using the lithographically patterned nanowire electrode- position (LPNE) process on SiO2 /Si substrates. After electrodeposition, pc-CdSe nanowires were thermally annealed at 300 °C x 4 h either with or without exposure to CdCl2 in methanol- a grain growth promoter. The influence of CdCl2 treatment was to increase the mean grain diameter as determined by X-ray diffraction pattern and to convert the crystal structure from cubic to wurtzite. Transfer characteristics showed an increase of the field effect mobility (mueff<) by an order of magnitude and increase of the Ion/Ioff ratio by a factor of 3-4. Light emitting devices (NW-LED) based on lithographically patterned pc-CdSe nanowire arrays have been investigated. Electroluminescence (EL) spectra of CdSe nanowires under various biases exhibited broad emission spectra centered at 750 nm close to the band gap of CdSe (1.7eV). To enhance the intensity of the emitted light and the external quantum efficiency (EQE), the distance between the contacts were reduced from 5 mum to less than 1 mum which increased the efficiency by an order of magnitude. Also, increasing the annealing temperature of nanowires from 300 °C x4 h to 450 °C x 1h enhanced grain growth confirmed by structural characterization including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Raman Spectroscopy. Correspondingly the light emission intensity and EQE improved due to this grain growth. Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) was utilized to understand mechanism of light emission in CdSe nanowires. Arrays of CdTe nanowires were electrodeposited using LPNE process where the elec- trodeposition of pc-CdTe was carried out at two temperatures: 20 °C (cold) and 55 °C (hot). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) re- sults revealed higher crystallinity, larger grain size and presence of Te for nanowires prepared at 55°C compared to nanowires deposited at 20°C. Nanowires prepared at 55°C showed higher electrical conductivity and enhanced electroluminescence proper- ties, including higher light emission intensity and improved External Quantum Efficiency (EQE). Electrical conduction mechanism also investigated for CdTe nanowires. Thermionic emission over schottky barrier height was identified as the dominant charge transport mechanism in pc-CdTe nanowires.°C x 1h enhanced grain growth confirmed by structural characterization including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Raman Spectroscopy. Correspondingly the light emission intensity and EQE improved due to this grain growth. Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) was utilized to understand mechanism of light emission in CdSe nanowires. Arrays of CdTe nanowires were electrodeposited using LPNE process where the electrodeposition of pc-CdTe was carried out at two temperatures: 20 °C (cold) and 55 °C (hot). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) re- sults revealed higher crystallinity, larger grain size and presence of Te for nanowires prepared at 55°C compared to nanowires deposited at 20°C. Nanowires prepared at 55°C showed higher electrical conductivity and enhanced electroluminescence properties, including higher light emission intensity and improved External Quantum Efficiency (EQE). Electrical conduction mechanism also investigated for CdTe nanowires. Thermionic emission over schottky barrier height was identified as the dominant charge transport mechanism in pc-CdTe nanowires.

High Efficiency Organic/Silicon-Nanowire Hybrid Solar Cells: Significance of Strong Inversion Layer

PubMed Central

Yu, Xuegong; Shen, Xinlei; Mu, Xinhui; Zhang, Jie; Sun, Baoquan; Zeng, Lingsheng; Yang, Lifei; Wu, Yichao; He, Hang; Yang, Deren

2015-01-01

Organic/silicon nanowires (SiNWs) hybrid solar cells have recently been recognized as one of potentially low-cost candidates for photovoltaic application. Here, we have controllably prepared a series of uniform silicon nanowires (SiNWs) with various diameters on silicon substrate by metal-assisted chemical etching followed by thermal oxidization, and then fabricated the organic/SiNWs hybrid solar cells with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). It is found that the reflective index of SiNWs layer for sunlight depends on the filling ratio of SiNWs. Compared to the SiNWs with the lowest reflectivity (LR-SiNWs), the solar cell based on the SiNWs with low filling ratio (LF-SiNWs) has a higher open-circuit voltage and fill factor. The capacitance-voltage measurements have clarified that the built-in potential barrier at the LF-SiNWs/PEDOT:PSS interface is much larger than that at the LR-SiNWs/PEDOT one, which yields a strong inversion layer generating near the silicon surface. The formation of inversion layer can effectively suppress the carrier recombination, reducing the leakage current of solar cell, and meanwhile transfer the LF-SiNWs/PEDOT:PSS device into a p-n junction. As a result, a highest efficiency of 13.11% is achieved for the LF-SiNWs/PEDOT:PSS solar cell. These results pave a way to the fabrication of high efficiency organic/SiNWs hybrid solar cells. PMID:26610848

Annealed Au-assisted epitaxial growth of si nanowires: control of alignment and density.

PubMed

Park, Yi-Seul; Jung, Da Hee; Kim, Hyun Ji; Lee, Jin Seok

2015-04-14

The epitaxial growth of 1D nanostructures is of particular interest for future nanoelectronic devices such as vertical field-effect transistors because it directly influences transistor densities and 3D logic or memory architectures. Silicon nanowires (SiNWs) are a particularly important 1D nanomaterial because they possess excellent electronic and optical properties. What is more, the scalable fabrication of vertically aligned SiNW arrays presents an opportunity for improved device applications if suitable properties can be achieved through controlling the alignment and density of SiNWs, yet this is something that has not been reported in the case of SiNWs synthesized from Au films. This work therefore explores the controllable synthesis of vertically aligned SiNWs through the introduction of an annealing process prior to growth via a Au-catalyzed vapor-liquid-solid mechanism. The epitaxial growth of SiNWs was demonstrated to be achievable using SiCl4 as the Si precursor in chemical vapor deposition, whereas the alignment and density of the SiNWs could be controlled by manipulating the annealing time during the formation of Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) from Au films. During the annealing process, gold silicide was observed to form on the interface of the liquid-phase AuNPs, depending on the size of the AuNPs and the annealing time. This work therefore makes a valuable contribution to improving nanowire-based engineering by controlling its alignment and density as well as providing greater insight into the epitaxial growth of 1D nanostructures.

Evident Enhancement of Photoelectrochemical Hydrogen Production by Electroless Deposition of M-B (M = Ni, Co) Catalysts on Silicon Nanowire Arrays.

PubMed

Yang, Yong; Wang, Mei; Zhang, Peili; Wang, Weihan; Han, Hongxian; Sun, Licheng

2016-11-09

Modification of p-type Si surface by active and stable earth-abundant electrocatalysts is an effective strategy to improve the sluggish kinetics for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) at p-Si/electrolyte interface and to develop highly efficient and low-cost photocathodes for hydrogen production from water. To this end, Si nanowire (Si-NW) array has been loaded with highly efficient electrocatalysts, M-B (M = Ni, Co), by facile and quick electroless plating to build M-B catalyst-modified Si nanowire-array-textured photocathodes for water reduction to H 2 . Compared with the bare Si-NW array, composite Si-NWs/M-B arrays display evidently enhanced photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance. The onset potential (V phon ) of cathodic photocurrent is positively shifted by 530-540 mV to 0.44-0.45 V vs RHE, and the short-circuit current density (J sc ) is up to 19.5 mA cm -2 in neutral buffer solution under simulated 1 sun illumination. Impressively, the half-cell photopower conversion efficiencies (η hc ) of the optimized Si-NWs/Co-B (2.53%) and Si-NWs/Ni-B (2.45%) are comparable to that of Si-NWs/Pt (2.46%). In terms of the large J sc , V phon , and η hc values, as well as the high Faradaic efficiency, Si-NWs/M-B electrodes are among the top performing Si photocathodes which are modified with HER electrocatalysts but have no buried solid/solid junction.

High Efficiency Organic/Silicon-Nanowire Hybrid Solar Cells: Significance of Strong Inversion Layer.

PubMed

Yu, Xuegong; Shen, Xinlei; Mu, Xinhui; Zhang, Jie; Sun, Baoquan; Zeng, Lingsheng; Yang, Lifei; Wu, Yichao; He, Hang; Yang, Deren

2015-11-27

Organic/silicon nanowires (SiNWs) hybrid solar cells have recently been recognized as one of potentially low-cost candidates for photovoltaic application. Here, we have controllably prepared a series of uniform silicon nanowires (SiNWs) with various diameters on silicon substrate by metal-assisted chemical etching followed by thermal oxidization, and then fabricated the organic/SiNWs hybrid solar cells with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrenesulfonate) ( PSS). It is found that the reflective index of SiNWs layer for sunlight depends on the filling ratio of SiNWs. Compared to the SiNWs with the lowest reflectivity (LR-SiNWs), the solar cell based on the SiNWs with low filling ratio (LF-SiNWs) has a higher open-circuit voltage and fill factor. The capacitance-voltage measurements have clarified that the built-in potential barrier at the LF-SiNWs/ PSS interface is much larger than that at the LR-SiNWs/PEDOT one, which yields a strong inversion layer generating near the silicon surface. The formation of inversion layer can effectively suppress the carrier recombination, reducing the leakage current of solar cell, and meanwhile transfer the LF-SiNWs/ PSS device into a p-n junction. As a result, a highest efficiency of 13.11% is achieved for the LF-SiNWs/ PSS solar cell. These results pave a way to the fabrication of high efficiency organic/SiNWs hybrid solar cells.

Crystal-Phase Quantum Wires: One-Dimensional Heterostructures with Atomically Flat Interfaces.

PubMed

Corfdir, Pierre; Li, Hong; Marquardt, Oliver; Gao, Guanhui; Molas, Maciej R; Zettler, Johannes K; van Treeck, David; Flissikowski, Timur; Potemski, Marek; Draxl, Claudia; Trampert, Achim; Fernández-Garrido, Sergio; Grahn, Holger T; Brandt, Oliver

2018-01-10

In semiconductor quantum-wire heterostructures, interface roughness leads to exciton localization and to a radiative decay rate much smaller than that expected for structures with flat interfaces. Here, we uncover the electronic and optical properties of the one-dimensional extended defects that form at the intersection between stacking faults and inversion domain boundaries in GaN nanowires. We show that they act as crystal-phase quantum wires, a novel one-dimensional quantum system with atomically flat interfaces. These quantum wires efficiently capture excitons whose radiative decay gives rise to an optical doublet at 3.36 eV at 4.2 K. The binding energy of excitons confined in crystal-phase quantum wires is measured to be more than twice larger than that of the bulk. As a result of their unprecedented interface quality, these crystal-phase quantum wires constitute a model system for the study of one-dimensional excitons.

Electromagnetic field enhancement effects in group IV semiconductor nanowires. A Raman spectroscopy approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pura, J. L.; Anaya, J.; Souto, J.; Prieto, A. C.; Rodríguez, A.; Rodríguez, T.; Periwal, P.; Baron, T.; Jiménez, J.

2018-03-01

Semiconductor nanowires (NWs) are the building blocks of future nanoelectronic devices. Furthermore, their large refractive index and reduced dimension make them suitable for nanophotonics. The study of the interaction between nanowires and visible light reveals resonances that promise light absorption/scattering engineering for photonic applications. Micro-Raman spectroscopy has been used as a characterization tool for semiconductor nanowires. The light/nanowire interaction can be experimentally assessed through the micro-Raman spectra of individual nanowires. As compared to both metallic and dielectric nanowires, semiconductor nanowires add additional tools for photon engineering. In particular, one can grow heterostructured nanowires, both axial and radial, and also one could modulate the doping level and the surface condition among other factors than can affect the light/NW interaction. We present herein a study of the optical response of group IV semiconductor nanowires to visible photons. The study is experimentally carried out through micro-Raman spectroscopy of different group IV nanowires, both homogeneous and axially heterostructured (SiGe/Si). The results are analyzed in terms of the electromagnetic modelling of the light/nanowire interaction using finite element methods. The presence of axial heterostructures is shown to produce electromagnetic resonances promising new photon engineering capabilities of semiconductor nanowires.

Plasmonic engineering of metal-oxide nanowire heterojunctions in integrated nanowire rectification units

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Luchan; Zou, Guisheng; Liu, Lei; Duley, Walt W.; Zhou, Y. Norman

2016-05-01

We show that irradiation with femtosecond laser pulses can produce robust nanowire heterojunctions in coupled non-wetting metal-oxide Ag-TiO2 structures. Simulations indicate that joining arises from the effect of strong plasmonic localization in the region of the junction. Strong electric field effects occur in both Ag and TiO2 resulting in the modification of both surfaces and an increase in wettability of TiO2, facilitating the interconnection of Ag and TiO2 nanowires. Irradiation leads to the creation of a thin layer of highly defected TiO2 in the contact region between the Ag and TiO2 nanowires. The presence of this layer allows the formation of a heterojunction and offers the possibility of engineering the electronic characteristics of interfacial structures. Rectifying junctions with single and bipolar properties have been generated in Ag-TiO2 nanowire circuits incorporating asymmetrical and symmetrical interfacial structures, respectively. This fabrication technique should be applicable for the interconnection of other heterogeneous metal-oxide nanowire components and demonstrates that femtosecond laser irradiation enables interfacial engineering for electronic applications of integrated nanowire structures.

The ITO-capped WO3 nanowires biosensor based on field-effect transistor in label-free protein sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shariati, Mohsen

2017-05-01

The fabrication of ITO-capped WO3 nanowires associated with their bio-sensing properties in field-effect transistor diagnostics basis as a biosensor has been reported. The bio-sensing property for manipulated nanowires elucidated that the grown nanostructures were very sensitive to protein. The ITO-capped WO3 nanowires biosensor showed an intensive bio-sensing activity against reliable protein. Polylysine strongly charged bio-molecule was applied as model system to demonstrate the implementation of materialized biosensor. The employed sensing mechanism was `label-free' and depended on bio-molecule's intrinsic charge. For nanowires synthesis, the vapor-liquid-solid mechanism was used. Nanowires were beyond a few hundred nanometers in lengths and around 15-20 nm in diameter, while the globe cap's size on the nanowires was around 15-25 nm. The indium tin oxide (ITO) played as catalyst in nanofabrication for WO3 nanowires growth and had outstanding role in bio-sensing especially for bio-molecule adherence. In applied electric field presence, the fabricated device showed the great potential to enhance medical diagnostics.

Ingestion of gallium phosphide nanowires has no adverse effect on Drosophila tissue function.

PubMed

Adolfsson, Karl; Schneider, Martina; Hammarin, Greger; Häcker, Udo; Prinz, Christelle N

2013-07-19

Engineered nanoparticles have been under increasing scrutiny in recent years. High aspect ratio nanoparticles such as carbon nanotubes and nanowires have raised safety concerns due to their geometrical similarity to asbestos fibers. III-V epitaxial semiconductor nanowires are expected to be utilized in devices such as LEDs and solar cells and will thus be available to the public. In addition, clean-room staff fabricating and characterizing the nanowires are at risk of exposure, emphasizing the importance of investigating their possible toxicity. Here we investigated the effects of gallium phosphide nanowires on the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Drosophila larvae and/or adults were exposed to gallium phosphide nanowires by ingestion with food. The toxicity and tissue interaction of the nanowires was evaluated by investigating tissue distribution, activation of immune response, genome-wide gene expression, life span, fecundity and somatic mutation rates. Our results show that gallium phosphide nanowires applied through the diet are not taken up into Drosophila tissues, do not elicit a measurable immune response or changes in genome-wide gene expression and do not significantly affect life span or somatic mutation rate.

Effect of temperature and geometric parameters on elastic properties of tungsten nanowire: A molecular dynamics study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saha, Sourav; Mojumder, Satyajit; Mahboob, Monon; Islam, M. Zahabul

2016-07-01

Tungsten is a promising material and has potential use as battery anode. Tungsten nanowires are gaining attention from researchers all over the world for this wide field of application. In this paper, we investigated effect of temperature and geometric parameters (diameter and aspect ratio) on elastic properties of Tungsten nanowire. Aspect ratios (length to diameter ratio) considered are 8:1, 10:1, and 12:1 while diameter of the nanowire is varied from 1-4 nm. For 2 nm diameter sample (aspect ratio 10:1), temperature is varied (10K ~ 1500K) to observe elastic behavior of Tungsten nanowire under uniaxial tensile loading. EAM potential is used for molecular dynamic simulation. We applied constant strain rate of 109 s-1 to deform the nanowire. Elastic behavior is expressed through stress vs. strain plot. We also investigated the fracture mechanism of tungsten nanowire and radial distribution function. Investigation suggests peculiar behavior of Tungsten nanowire in nano-scale with double peaks in stress vs. strain diagram. Necking before final fracture suggests that actual elastic behavior of the material is successfully captured through atomistic modeling.

Ingestion of gallium phosphide nanowires has no adverse effect on Drosophila tissue function

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adolfsson, Karl; Schneider, Martina; Hammarin, Greger; Häcker, Udo; Prinz, Christelle N.

2013-07-01

Engineered nanoparticles have been under increasing scrutiny in recent years. High aspect ratio nanoparticles such as carbon nanotubes and nanowires have raised safety concerns due to their geometrical similarity to asbestos fibers. III-V epitaxial semiconductor nanowires are expected to be utilized in devices such as LEDs and solar cells and will thus be available to the public. In addition, clean-room staff fabricating and characterizing the nanowires are at risk of exposure, emphasizing the importance of investigating their possible toxicity. Here we investigated the effects of gallium phosphide nanowires on the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Drosophila larvae and/or adults were exposed to gallium phosphide nanowires by ingestion with food. The toxicity and tissue interaction of the nanowires was evaluated by investigating tissue distribution, activation of immune response, genome-wide gene expression, life span, fecundity and somatic mutation rates. Our results show that gallium phosphide nanowires applied through the diet are not taken up into Drosophila tissues, do not elicit a measurable immune response or changes in genome-wide gene expression and do not significantly affect life span or somatic mutation rate.

Synthesis and magnetic properties of cobalt-iron/cobalt-ferrite soft/hard magnetic core/shell nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leandro Londoño-Calderón, César; Moscoso-Londoño, Oscar; Muraca, Diego; Arzuza, Luis; Carvalho, Peterson; Pirota, Kleber Roberto; Knobel, Marcelo; Pampillo, Laura Gabriela; Martínez-García, Ricardo

2017-06-01

A straightforward method for the synthesis of CoFe2.7/CoFe2O4 core/shell nanowires is described. The proposed method starts with a conventional pulsed electrodeposition procedure on alumina nanoporous template. The obtained CoFe2.7 nanowires are released from the template and allowed to oxidize at room conditions over several weeks. The effects of partial oxidation on the structural and magnetic properties were studied by x-ray spectrometry, magnetometry, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The results indicate that the final nanowires are composed of 5 nm iron-cobalt alloy nanoparticles. Releasing the nanowires at room conditions promoted surface oxidation of the nanoparticles and created a CoFe2O4 shell spinel-like structure. The shell avoids internal oxidation and promotes the formation of bi-magnetic soft/hard magnetic core/shell nanowires. The magnetic properties of both the initial single-phase CoFe2.7 nanowires and the final core/shell nanowires, reveal that the changes in the properties from the array are due to the oxidation more than effects associated with released processes (disorder and agglomeration).

Synthesis and magnetic properties of cobalt-iron/cobalt-ferrite soft/hard magnetic core/shell nanowires.

PubMed

Londoño-Calderón, César Leandro; Moscoso-Londoño, Oscar; Muraca, Diego; Arzuza, Luis; Carvalho, Peterson; Pirota, Kleber Roberto; Knobel, Marcelo; Pampillo, Laura Gabriela; Martínez-García, Ricardo

2017-06-16

A straightforward method for the synthesis of CoFe 2.7 /CoFe 2 O 4 core/shell nanowires is described. The proposed method starts with a conventional pulsed electrodeposition procedure on alumina nanoporous template. The obtained CoFe 2.7 nanowires are released from the template and allowed to oxidize at room conditions over several weeks. The effects of partial oxidation on the structural and magnetic properties were studied by x-ray spectrometry, magnetometry, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The results indicate that the final nanowires are composed of 5 nm iron-cobalt alloy nanoparticles. Releasing the nanowires at room conditions promoted surface oxidation of the nanoparticles and created a CoFe 2 O 4 shell spinel-like structure. The shell avoids internal oxidation and promotes the formation of bi-magnetic soft/hard magnetic core/shell nanowires. The magnetic properties of both the initial single-phase CoFe 2.7 nanowires and the final core/shell nanowires, reveal that the changes in the properties from the array are due to the oxidation more than effects associated with released processes (disorder and agglomeration).

Doping of germanium nanowires grown in presence of PH3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tutuc, E.; Chu, J. O.; Ott, J. A.; Guha, S.

2006-12-01

The authors study the Au-catalyzed chemical vapor growth of germanium (Ge) nanowires in the presence of phosphine (PH3), used as a dopant precursor. The device characteristics of the ensuing nanowire field effect transistors (FETs) indicate n-type, highly doped nanowires. Using a combination of different nanowire growth sequences and their FET characteristics, the authors determine that phosphorus incorporates predominately via the conformal growth, which accompanies the acicular, nanowire growth. As such, the Ge nanowires grown in the presence of PH3 contain a phosphorus doped shell and an undoped core. The authors determine the doping level in the shell to be ≃(1-4)×1019cm-3.

Morphology induced photo-degradation study of low temperature, chemically derived ZnO/SnO{sub 2} heterostructure

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pal, Shreyasi, E-mail: Shreyasi.tua@gamil.com; Maiti, Soumen; Chattopadhyay, Kalyan Kumar, E-mail: kalyan-chattopadhyay@yahoo.com

2016-05-06

Rational construction of heterostructure is a key pathway to pursue highly active photocatalysts that also offers prospects to explore the relationship between structural aspect and photocatalytic efficiency. Here, we adopted a two-step wet chemical protocol for decoration of ZnO nanowires with SnO{sub 2} nanoclusters. ZnO nanowires were prepared by one pot ambient conditioned synthesis from commercial zinc powder. In sequence, synthesized ZnO nanowires were engineered with varying quantity SnO{sub 2} nanoclusters via low temperature hydrothermal method. Environmental remediation through catalytic activity of the samples was inspected taking two dyes having different ionic character (Methyl Orange and Rhodamine B) under UVmore » irradiation where the optimized hybrid displayed better performance than mono component oxides. Enhancement in catalytic performance could be enlightened by the heterostructure formation at the ZnO/SnO{sub 2} interface which in turns prolonged photogenerated carrier separation and extend the photo response range. Furthermore, the photocatalysis performance by heterostructure could be recycled for several times without noticeable decrease in their catalytic activity.« less

Strain and stability of ultrathin Ge layers in Si/Ge/Si axial heterojunction nanowires

DOE PAGES

Ross, Frances M.; Stach, Eric A.; Wen, Cheng -Yen; ...

2015-02-05

The abrupt heterointerfaces in the Si/Ge materials system presents useful possibilities for electronic device engineering because the band structure can be affected by strain induced by the lattice mismatch. In planar layers, heterointerfaces with abrupt composition changes are difficult to realize without introducing misfit dislocations. However, in catalytically grown nanowires, abrupt heterointerfaces can be fabricated by appropriate choice of the catalyst. Here we grow nanowires containing Si/Ge and Si/Ge/Si structures respectively with sub-1nm thick Ge "quantum wells" and we measure the interfacial strain fields using geometric phase analysis. Narrow Ge layers show radial strains of several percent, with a correspondingmore » dilation in the axial direction. Si/Ge interfaces show lattice rotation and curvature of the lattice planes. We conclude that high strains can be achieved, compared to what is possible in planar layers. In addition, we study the stability of these heterostructures under heating and electron beam irradiation. The strain and composition gradients are supposed to the cause of the instability for interdiffusion.« less

Polarization-tuned Dynamic Color Filters Incorporating a Dielectric-loaded Aluminum Nanowire Array

PubMed Central

Raj Shrestha, Vivek; Lee, Sang-Shin; Kim, Eun-Soo; Choi, Duk-Yong

2015-01-01

Nanostructured spectral filters enabling dynamic color-tuning are saliently attractive for implementing ultra-compact color displays and imaging devices. Realization of polarization-induced dynamic color-tuning via one-dimensional periodic nanostructures is highly challenging due to the absence of plasmonic resonances for transverse-electric polarization. Here we demonstrate highly efficient dynamic subtractive color filters incorporating a dielectric-loaded aluminum nanowire array, providing a continuum of customized color according to the incident polarization. Dynamic color filtering was realized relying on selective suppression in transmission spectra via plasmonic resonance at a metal-dielectric interface and guided-mode resonance for a metal-clad dielectric waveguide, each occurring at their characteristic wavelengths for transverse-magnetic and electric polarizations, respectively. A broad palette of colors, including cyan, magenta, and yellow, has been attained with high transmission beyond 80%, by tailoring the period of the nanowire array and the incident polarization. Thanks to low cost, high durability, and mass producibility of the aluminum adopted for the proposed devices, they are anticipated to be diversely applied to color displays, holographic imaging, information encoding, and anti-counterfeiting. PMID:26211625

Enabling Energy Efficiency and Polarity Control in Germanium Nanowire Transistors by Individually Gated Nanojunctions.

PubMed

Trommer, Jens; Heinzig, André; Mühle, Uwe; Löffler, Markus; Winzer, Annett; Jordan, Paul M; Beister, Jürgen; Baldauf, Tim; Geidel, Marion; Adolphi, Barbara; Zschech, Ehrenfried; Mikolajick, Thomas; Weber, Walter M

2017-02-28

Germanium is a promising material for future very large scale integration transistors, due to its superior hole mobility. However, germanium-based devices typically suffer from high reverse junction leakage due to the low band-gap energy of 0.66 eV and therefore are characterized by high static power dissipation. In this paper, we experimentally demonstrate a solution to suppress the off-state leakage in germanium nanowire Schottky barrier transistors. Thereto, a device layout with two independent gates is used to induce an additional energy barrier to the channel that blocks the undesired carrier type. In addition, the polarity of the same doping-free device can be dynamically switched between p- and n-type. The shown germanium nanowire approach is able to outperform previous polarity-controllable device concepts on other material systems in terms of threshold voltages and normalized on-currents. The dielectric and Schottky barrier interface properties of the device are analyzed in detail. Finite-element drift-diffusion simulations reveal that both leakage current suppression and polarity control can also be achieved at highly scaled geometries, providing solutions for future energy-efficient systems.

Analysis of magic lengths in growth of supported metallic nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Yong

2014-12-01

Metallic nanowires can exhibit fascinating physical properties. These unique properties often originate primarily from the quantum confinement of free electrons in a potential well, while electron-electron interactions do not play a decisive role. A recent experimental study shows that self-assembled Ir nanowires grown on Ge(001) surface have a strong length preference: the nanowire lengths are an integer multiple of 4.8 nm. In this paper, a free-electron-gas model for geometries corresponding to the nanowires is used to analyze the selection of these preferred or magic lengths. The model shows that the inclusion of even numbers of free electrons in an Ir nanowire produces these magic lengths once an electron spillage effect is taken into account. The model also shows that the stability of the nanowire diminishes with its increasing length, and consequently suggests why no long nanowires are observed in experiments. It is also shown that applying generic results for quantum size effects in a nanofilm geometry is not adequate to accurately describe the length selection in the rather different nanowire geometry, where the transverse dimensions are smaller than the electron Fermi wavelength. Finally, monatomic Au chain growth on Ge(001) surface is also analyzed. In contrast to Ir nanowires, the model shows that the stability of an Au chain depends strongly on the extent of electron spillage.

Strain-induced structural defects and their effects on the electrochemical performances of silicon core/germanium shell nanowire heterostructures

DOE PAGES

Lin, Yung-Chen; Kim, Dongheun; Li, Zhen; ...

2016-12-14

Here we report on strain-induced structural defect formation in core Si nanowire of Si/Ge core/shell nanowire heterostructure and influences of the structural defects on the electrochemical performances in lithium-ion battery anodes based on Si/Ge core/shell nanowire heterostructures. The induced structural defects consisting of stacking faults and dislocations in the core Si nanowire were observed for the first time. The generation of stacking faults in Si/Ge core/shell nanowire heterostructure is observed to prefer settling in either only Ge shell region or in both Ge shell and Si core regions and is associated with the increase of the shell volume fraction. Themore » relax of misfit strain in [112] oriented core/shell nanowire heterostructure leads to subsequent gliding of Shockley partial dislocations, preferentially forming the twins. The observation of cross-over defect formation is of great importance for the understanding of heteroepitaxy in radial heterostructures at nanoscale and building the three dimensional heterostructures for the various applications. In addition, the effect of the defect formation on nanomaterial’s functionality is investigated by electrochemical performance test. The Si/Ge core/shell nanowire heterostructures enhance the gravimetric capacity of lithium ion battery anodes under fast charging/discharging rates compared to Si nanowires. However, the induced structural defects hamper lithiation of the Si/Ge core/shell nanowire heterostructure.« less

Strain-induced structural defects and their effects on the electrochemical performances of silicon core/germanium shell nanowire heterostructures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lin, Yung-Chen; Kim, Dongheun; Li, Zhen

Here we report on strain-induced structural defect formation in core Si nanowire of Si/Ge core/shell nanowire heterostructure and influences of the structural defects on the electrochemical performances in lithium-ion battery anodes based on Si/Ge core/shell nanowire heterostructures. The induced structural defects consisting of stacking faults and dislocations in the core Si nanowire were observed for the first time. The generation of stacking faults in Si/Ge core/shell nanowire heterostructure is observed to prefer settling in either only Ge shell region or in both Ge shell and Si core regions and is associated with the increase of the shell volume fraction. Themore » relax of misfit strain in [112] oriented core/shell nanowire heterostructure leads to subsequent gliding of Shockley partial dislocations, preferentially forming the twins. The observation of cross-over defect formation is of great importance for the understanding of heteroepitaxy in radial heterostructures at nanoscale and building the three dimensional heterostructures for the various applications. In addition, the effect of the defect formation on nanomaterial’s functionality is investigated by electrochemical performance test. The Si/Ge core/shell nanowire heterostructures enhance the gravimetric capacity of lithium ion battery anodes under fast charging/discharging rates compared to Si nanowires. However, the induced structural defects hamper lithiation of the Si/Ge core/shell nanowire heterostructure.« less

Fabrication of Si3N4 nanowire membranes: free standing disordered nanopapers and aligned nanowire assemblies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Haitao; Fang, Minghao; Huang, Zhaohui; Huang, Juntong; Liu, Yan-gai; Wu, Xiaowen

2016-08-01

Herein, ultralong silicon nitride nanowires were synthesized via a chemical vapor deposition method by using the low-cost quartz and silicon powder as raw materials. Simple processes were used for the fabrication of disordered and ordered nanowire membranes of pure silicon nitride nanowires. The nanowires in the disordered nanopapers are intertwined with each other to form a paper-like structure which exhibit excellent flame retardancy and mechanical properties. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and thermal gravity analysis were employed to characterize the refractory performance of the disordered nanopapers. Highly ordered nanowire membranes were also assembled through a three-phase assembly approach which make the Si3N4 nanowires have potential use in textured ceramics and semiconductor field. Moreover, the surface nanowires can also be modified to be hydrophobic; this characteristic make the as-prepared nanowires have the potential to be assembled by the more effective Langmuir-Blodgett method and also make the disordered nanopapers possess a super-hydrophobic surface.

Visual Understanding of Light Absorption and Waveguiding in Standing Nanowires with 3D Fluorescence Confocal Microscopy

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Semiconductor nanowires are promising building blocks for next-generation photonics. Indirect proofs of large absorption cross sections have been reported in nanostructures with subwavelength diameters, an effect that is even more prominent in vertically standing nanowires. In this work we provide a three-dimensional map of the light around vertical GaAs nanowires standing on a substrate by using fluorescence confocal microscopy, where the strong long-range disruption of the light path along the nanowire is illustrated. We find that the actual long-distance perturbation is much larger in size than calculated extinction cross sections. While the size of the perturbation remains similar, the intensity of the interaction changes dramatically over the visible spectrum. Numerical simulations allow us to distinguish the effects of scattering and absorption in the nanowire leading to these phenomena. This work provides a visual understanding of light absorption in semiconductor nanowire structures, which is of high interest for solar energy conversion applications. PMID:28966933

Monolithic Integration of a Silicon Nanowire Field-Effect Transistors Array on a Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor Chip for Biochemical Sensor Applications

PubMed Central

Livi, Paolo; Kwiat, Moria; Shadmani, Amir; Pevzner, Alexander; Navarra, Giulio; Rothe, Jörg; Stettler, Alexander; Chen, Yihui; Patolsky, Fernando; Hierlemann, Andreas

2017-01-01

We present a monolithic complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS)-based sensor system comprising an array of silicon nanowire field-effect transistors (FETs) and the signal-conditioning circuitry on the same chip. The silicon nanowires were fabricated by chemical vapor deposition methods and then transferred to the CMOS chip, where Ti/Pd/Ti contacts had been patterned via e-beam lithography. The on-chip circuitry measures the current flowing through each nanowire FET upon applying a constant source-drain voltage. The analog signal is digitized on chip and then transmitted to a receiving unit. The system has been successfully fabricated and tested by acquiring I−V curves of the bare nanowire-based FETs. Furthermore, the sensing capabilities of the complete system have been demonstrated by recording current changes upon nanowire exposure to solutions of different pHs, as well as by detecting different concentrations of Troponin T biomarkers (cTnT) through antibody-functionalized nanowire FETs. PMID:26348408

Visual Understanding of Light Absorption and Waveguiding in Standing Nanowires with 3D Fluorescence Confocal Microscopy.

PubMed

Frederiksen, Rune; Tutuncuoglu, Gozde; Matteini, Federico; Martinez, Karen L; Fontcuberta I Morral, Anna; Alarcon-Llado, Esther

2017-09-20

Semiconductor nanowires are promising building blocks for next-generation photonics. Indirect proofs of large absorption cross sections have been reported in nanostructures with subwavelength diameters, an effect that is even more prominent in vertically standing nanowires. In this work we provide a three-dimensional map of the light around vertical GaAs nanowires standing on a substrate by using fluorescence confocal microscopy, where the strong long-range disruption of the light path along the nanowire is illustrated. We find that the actual long-distance perturbation is much larger in size than calculated extinction cross sections. While the size of the perturbation remains similar, the intensity of the interaction changes dramatically over the visible spectrum. Numerical simulations allow us to distinguish the effects of scattering and absorption in the nanowire leading to these phenomena. This work provides a visual understanding of light absorption in semiconductor nanowire structures, which is of high interest for solar energy conversion applications.

n-Type Doping of Vapor-Liquid-Solid Grown GaAs Nanowires.

PubMed

Gutsche, Christoph; Lysov, Andrey; Regolin, Ingo; Blekker, Kai; Prost, Werner; Tegude, Franz-Josef

2011-12-01

In this letter, n-type doping of GaAs nanowires grown by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy in the vapor-liquid-solid growth mode on (111)B GaAs substrates is reported. A low growth temperature of 400°C is adjusted in order to exclude shell growth. The impact of doping precursors on the morphology of GaAs nanowires was investigated. Tetraethyl tin as doping precursor enables heavily n-type doped GaAs nanowires in a relatively small process window while no doping effect could be found for ditertiarybutylsilane. Electrical measurements carried out on single nanowires reveal an axially non-uniform doping profile. Within a number of wires from the same run, the donor concentrations ND of GaAs nanowires are found to vary from 7 × 10(17) cm(-3) to 2 × 10(18) cm(-3). The n-type conductivity is proven by the transfer characteristics of fabricated nanowire metal-insulator-semiconductor field-effect transistor devices.

Monolithic integration of a silicon nanowire field-effect transistors array on a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor chip for biochemical sensor applications.

PubMed

Livi, Paolo; Kwiat, Moria; Shadmani, Amir; Pevzner, Alexander; Navarra, Giulio; Rothe, Jörg; Stettler, Alexander; Chen, Yihui; Patolsky, Fernando; Hierlemann, Andreas

2015-10-06

We present a monolithic complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS)-based sensor system comprising an array of silicon nanowire field-effect transistors (FETs) and the signal-conditioning circuitry on the same chip. The silicon nanowires were fabricated by chemical vapor deposition methods and then transferred to the CMOS chip, where Ti/Pd/Ti contacts had been patterned via e-beam lithography. The on-chip circuitry measures the current flowing through each nanowire FET upon applying a constant source-drain voltage. The analog signal is digitized on chip and then transmitted to a receiving unit. The system has been successfully fabricated and tested by acquiring I-V curves of the bare nanowire-based FETs. Furthermore, the sensing capabilities of the complete system have been demonstrated by recording current changes upon nanowire exposure to solutions of different pHs, as well as by detecting different concentrations of Troponin T biomarkers (cTnT) through antibody-functionalized nanowire FETs.

Bandgap engineering of GaN nanowires

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ming, Bang-Ming; Yan, Hui; Wang, Ru-Zhi, E-mail: wrz@bjut.edu.cn, E-mail: yamcy@csrc.ac.cn

2016-05-15

Bandgap engineering has been a powerful technique for manipulating the electronic and optical properties of semiconductors. In this work, a systematic investigation of the electronic properties of [0001] GaN nanowires was carried out using the density functional based tight-binding method (DFTB). We studied the effects of geometric structure and uniaxial strain on the electronic properties of GaN nanowires with diameters ranging from 0.8 to 10 nm. Our results show that the band gap of GaN nanowires depends linearly on both the surface to volume ratio (S/V) and tensile strain. The band gap of GaN nanowires increases linearly with S/V, whilemore » it decreases linearly with increasing tensile strain. These linear relationships provide an effect way in designing GaN nanowires for their applications in novel nano-devices.« less

Strong polarization-dependent terahertz modulation of aligned Ag nanowires on Si substrate.

PubMed

Lee, Gyuseok; Maeng, Inhee; Kang, Chul; Oh, Myoung-Kyu; Kee, Chul-Sik

2018-05-14

Optically tunable, strong polarization-dependent transmission of terahertz pulses through aligned Ag nanowires on a Si substrate is demonstrated. Terahertz pulses primarily pass through the Ag nanowires and the transmittance is weakly dependent on the angle between the direction of polarization of the terahertz pulse and the direction of nanowire alignment. However, the transmission of a terahertz pulse through optically excited materials strongly depends on the polarization direction. The extinction ratio increases as the power of the pumping laser increases. The enhanced polarization dependency is explained by the redistribution of photocarriers, which accelerates the sintering effect along the direction of alignment of the Ag nanowires. The photocarrier redistribution effect is examined by the enhancement of terahertz emission from the sample. Oblique metal nanowires on Si could be utilized for designing optically tunable terahertz polarization modulators.

In situ TEM observation of preferential amorphization in single crystal Si nanowire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Jiangbin; Zhu, Xianfang

2018-06-01

The nanoinstability of a single crystal Si nanowire under electron beam irradiation was in situ investigated at room temperature by the transmission electron microscopy technique. It was observed that the Si nanowire amorphized preferentially from the surface towards the center, with the increasing of the electron dose. In contrast, in the center of the Si nanowire the amorphization seemed much more difficult, being accompanied by the rotation of crystal grains and the compression of d-spacing. Such a preferential amorphization, which is athermally induced by the electron beam irradiation, can be well accounted for by our proposed concepts of the nanocurvature effect and the energetic beam-induced athermal activation effect, while the classical knock-on mechanism and the electron beam heating effect seem inadequate to explain these processes. Furthermore, the findings revealed the difference of amorphization between a Si nanowire and a Si film under electron beam irradiation. Also, the findings have important implications for the nanoinstability and nanoprocessing of future Si nanowire-based devices.

In situ TEM observation of preferential amorphization in single crystal Si nanowire.

PubMed

Su, Jiangbin; Zhu, Xianfang

2018-06-08

The nanoinstability of a single crystal Si nanowire under electron beam irradiation was in situ investigated at room temperature by the transmission electron microscopy technique. It was observed that the Si nanowire amorphized preferentially from the surface towards the center, with the increasing of the electron dose. In contrast, in the center of the Si nanowire the amorphization seemed much more difficult, being accompanied by the rotation of crystal grains and the compression of d-spacing. Such a preferential amorphization, which is athermally induced by the electron beam irradiation, can be well accounted for by our proposed concepts of the nanocurvature effect and the energetic beam-induced athermal activation effect, while the classical knock-on mechanism and the electron beam heating effect seem inadequate to explain these processes. Furthermore, the findings revealed the difference of amorphization between a Si nanowire and a Si film under electron beam irradiation. Also, the findings have important implications for the nanoinstability and nanoprocessing of future Si nanowire-based devices.

Proximity-induced superconductivity in crystalline Cu and Co nanowires and nanogranular Co structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kompaniiets, M.; Dobrovolskiy, O. V.; Neetzel, C.; Begun, E.; Porrati, F.; Ensinger, W.; Huth, M.

2014-08-01

We report an experimental study of proximity effect-induced superconductivity in crystalline Cu and Co nanowires and a nanogranular Co nanowire structure in contact with a superconducting W-based floating electrode (inducer). For electrical resistance measurements up to three pairs of Pt-based voltage leads were attached at different distances beside the inner inducer electrode, thus allowing us to probe the proximity effect over a length of 2-12 μm. Up to 30% resistance drops with respect to the normal-state value have been observed for the crystalline Co and Cu nanowires when sweeping the temperature below Tc of the inducer (5.2 K). By contrast, relative R(T) drops were found to be an order of magnitude smaller for the nanogranular Co nanowire structure. Our analysis of the resistance data shows that the superconducting proximity length in crystalline Cu and Co is about 1 μm at 2.4 K, attesting to a long-range proximity effect in the Co nanowire. Moreover, this long-range proximity effect is insusceptible to magnetic fields up to 11 T, which is indicative of spin-triplet pairing. At the same time, proximity-induced superconductivity in the nanogranular Co nanowire is strongly suppressed due to the dominating Cooper pair scattering caused by its intrinsic microstructure.

Quantum optics with nanowires (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zwiller, Val

2017-02-01

Nanowires offer new opportunities for nanoscale quantum optics; the quantum dot geometry in semiconducting nanowires as well as the material composition and environment can be engineered with unprecedented freedom to improve the light extraction efficiency. Quantum dots in nanowires are shown to be efficient single photon sources, in addition because of the very small fine structure splitting, we demonstrate the generation of entangled pairs of photons from a nanowire. By doping a nanowire and making ohmic contacts on both sides, a nanowire light emitting diode can be obtained with a single quantum dot as the active region. Under forward bias, this will act as an electrically pumped source of single photons. Under reverse bias, an avalanche effect can multiply photocurrent and enables the detection of single photons. Another type of nanowire under study in our group is superconducting nanowires for single photon detection, reaching efficiencies, time resolution and dark counts beyond currently available detectors. We will discuss our first attempts at combining semiconducting nanowire based single photon emitters and superconducting nanowire single photon detectors on a chip to realize integrated quantum circuits.

Electronic structures of [001]- and [111]-oriented InSb and GaSb free-standing nanowires

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liao, Gaohua; Department of Applied Physics and Key Laboratory for Micro-Nano Physics and Technology of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha 410082; Luo, Ning

We report on a theoretical study of the electronic structures of InSb and GaSb nanowires oriented along the [001] and [111] crystallographic directions. The nanowires are described by atomistic, tight-binding models, including spin-orbit interaction. The band structures and the wave functions of the nanowires are calculated by means of a Lanczos iteration algorithm. For the [001]-oriented InSb and GaSb nanowires, the systems with both square and rectangular cross sections are considered. Here, it is found that all the energy bands are doubly degenerate. Although the lowest conduction bands in these nanowires show good parabolic dispersions, the top valence bands showmore » rich and complex structures. In particular, the topmost valence bands of the nanowires with a square cross section show a double maximum structure. In the nanowires with a rectangular cross section, this double maximum structure is suppressed, and the top valence bands gradually develop into parabolic bands as the aspect ratio of the cross section is increased. For the [111]-oriented InSb and GaSb nanowires, the systems with hexagonal cross sections are considered. It is found that all the bands at the Γ-point are again doubly degenerate. However, some of them will split into non-degenerate bands when the wave vector moves away from the Γ-point. Although the lowest conduction bands again show good parabolic dispersions, the topmost valence bands do not show the double maximum structure. Instead, they show a single maximum structure with its maximum at a wave vector slightly away from the Γ-point. The wave functions of the band states near the band gaps of the [001]- and [111]-oriented InSb and GaSb nanowires are also calculated and are presented in terms of probability distributions in the cross sections. It is found that although the probability distributions of the band states in the [001]-oriented nanowires with a rectangular cross section could be qualitatively described by one-band effective mass theory, the probability distributions of the band states in the [001]-oriented nanowires with a square cross section and the [111]-oriented nanowires with a hexagonal cross section show characteristic patterns with symmetries closely related to the irreducible representations of the relevant double point groups and, in general, go beyond the prediction of a simple one-band effective mass theory. We also investigate the effects of quantum confinement on the band structures of the [001]- and [111]-oriented InSb and GaSb nanowires and present an empirical formula for the description of quantization energies of the band edge states in the nanowires, which could be used to estimate the enhancement of the band gaps of the nanowires as a result of quantum confinement. The size dependencies of the electron and hole effective masses in these nanowires are also investigated and discussed.« less

Electronic structures of [001]- and [111]-oriented InSb and GaSb free-standing nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liao, Gaohua; Luo, Ning; Yang, Zhihu; Chen, Keqiu; Xu, H. Q.

2015-09-01

We report on a theoretical study of the electronic structures of InSb and GaSb nanowires oriented along the [001] and [111] crystallographic directions. The nanowires are described by atomistic, tight-binding models, including spin-orbit interaction. The band structures and the wave functions of the nanowires are calculated by means of a Lanczos iteration algorithm. For the [001]-oriented InSb and GaSb nanowires, the systems with both square and rectangular cross sections are considered. Here, it is found that all the energy bands are doubly degenerate. Although the lowest conduction bands in these nanowires show good parabolic dispersions, the top valence bands show rich and complex structures. In particular, the topmost valence bands of the nanowires with a square cross section show a double maximum structure. In the nanowires with a rectangular cross section, this double maximum structure is suppressed, and the top valence bands gradually develop into parabolic bands as the aspect ratio of the cross section is increased. For the [111]-oriented InSb and GaSb nanowires, the systems with hexagonal cross sections are considered. It is found that all the bands at the Γ-point are again doubly degenerate. However, some of them will split into non-degenerate bands when the wave vector moves away from the Γ-point. Although the lowest conduction bands again show good parabolic dispersions, the topmost valence bands do not show the double maximum structure. Instead, they show a single maximum structure with its maximum at a wave vector slightly away from the Γ-point. The wave functions of the band states near the band gaps of the [001]- and [111]-oriented InSb and GaSb nanowires are also calculated and are presented in terms of probability distributions in the cross sections. It is found that although the probability distributions of the band states in the [001]-oriented nanowires with a rectangular cross section could be qualitatively described by one-band effective mass theory, the probability distributions of the band states in the [001]-oriented nanowires with a square cross section and the [111]-oriented nanowires with a hexagonal cross section show characteristic patterns with symmetries closely related to the irreducible representations of the relevant double point groups and, in general, go beyond the prediction of a simple one-band effective mass theory. We also investigate the effects of quantum confinement on the band structures of the [001]- and [111]-oriented InSb and GaSb nanowires and present an empirical formula for the description of quantization energies of the band edge states in the nanowires, which could be used to estimate the enhancement of the band gaps of the nanowires as a result of quantum confinement. The size dependencies of the electron and hole effective masses in these nanowires are also investigated and discussed.

Bi nanowire-based thermal biosensor for the detection of salivary cortisol using the Thomson effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Seunghyun; Hyun Lee, Jung; Kim, MinGin; Kim, Jeongmin; Song, Min-Jung; Jung, Hyo-Il; Lee, Wooyoung

2013-09-01

We present a study of a thermal biosensor based on bismuth nanowire that is fabricated for the detection of the human stress hormone cortisol using the Thomson effect. The Bi nanowire was grown using the On-Film Formation of Nanowires (OFF-ON) method. The thermal device was fabricated using photolithography, and the sensing area was modified with immobilized anti-cortisol antibodies conjugated with protein G for the detection of cortisol. The voltages were measured with two probe tips during surface modification to investigate the biochemical reactions in the fabricated thermal biosensor. The Bi nanowire-based thermal biosensor exhibited low detection limit and good selectivity for the detection of cortisol.

EFFECT OF PRE-ANNEALING TEMPERATURE ON THE GROWTH OF ALIGNED α-Fe2O3 NANOWIRES VIA A TWO-STEP THERMAL OXIDATION

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rashid, Norhana Mohamed; Kishi, Naoki; Soga, Tetsuo

2016-03-01

Pre-annealing as part of a two-step thermal oxidation process has a significant effect on the growth of hematite (α-Fe2O3) nanowires on Fe foil. High-density aligned nanowires were obtained on iron foils pre-annealed at 300∘C under a dry air flow for 30min. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns indicate that the nanowires are transformed from the small α-Fe2O3 grains and uniquely grow in the (110) direction. The formation of a high-density of small grains by pre-annealing improved the alignment and density of the α-Fe2O3 nanowires.

Gibbs–Thomson Effect in Planar Nanowires: Orientation and Doping Modulated Growth

DOE PAGES

Shen, Youde; Chen, Renjie; Yu, Xuechao; ...

2016-06-02

Epitaxy-enabled bottom-up synthesis of self-assembled planar nanowires via the vapor–liquid–solid mechanism is an emerging and promising approach toward large-scale direct integration of nanowire-based devices without postgrowth alignment. In this paper, by examining large assemblies of indium tin oxide nanowires on yttria-stabilized zirconia substrate, we demonstrate for the first time that the growth dynamics of planar nanowires follows a modified version of the Gibbs–Thomson mechanism, which has been known for the past decades to govern the correlations between thermodynamic supersaturation, growth speed, and nanowire morphology. Furthermore, the substrate orientation strongly influences the growth characteristics of epitaxial planar nanowires as opposed tomore » impact at only the initial nucleation stage in the growth of vertical nanowires. The rich nanowire morphology can be described by a surface-energy-dependent growth model within the Gibbs–Thomson framework, which is further modulated by the tin doping concentration. Our experiments also reveal that the cutoff nanowire diameter depends on the substrate orientation and decreases with increasing tin doping concentration. Finally, these results enable a deeper understanding and control over the growth of planar nanowires, and the insights will help advance the fabrication of self-assembled nanowire devices.« less

Gibbs-Thomson Effect in Planar Nanowires: Orientation and Doping Modulated Growth.

PubMed

Shen, Youde; Chen, Renjie; Yu, Xuechao; Wang, Qijie; Jungjohann, Katherine L; Dayeh, Shadi A; Wu, Tom

2016-07-13

Epitaxy-enabled bottom-up synthesis of self-assembled planar nanowires via the vapor-liquid-solid mechanism is an emerging and promising approach toward large-scale direct integration of nanowire-based devices without postgrowth alignment. Here, by examining large assemblies of indium tin oxide nanowires on yttria-stabilized zirconia substrate, we demonstrate for the first time that the growth dynamics of planar nanowires follows a modified version of the Gibbs-Thomson mechanism, which has been known for the past decades to govern the correlations between thermodynamic supersaturation, growth speed, and nanowire morphology. Furthermore, the substrate orientation strongly influences the growth characteristics of epitaxial planar nanowires as opposed to impact at only the initial nucleation stage in the growth of vertical nanowires. The rich nanowire morphology can be described by a surface-energy-dependent growth model within the Gibbs-Thomson framework, which is further modulated by the tin doping concentration. Our experiments also reveal that the cutoff nanowire diameter depends on the substrate orientation and decreases with increasing tin doping concentration. These results enable a deeper understanding and control over the growth of planar nanowires, and the insights will help advance the fabrication of self-assembled nanowire devices.

Controlled surface diffusion in plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of GaN nanowires.

PubMed

Hou, Wen Chi; Hong, Franklin Chau-Nan

2009-02-04

This study investigates the growth of GaN nanowires by controlling the surface diffusion of Ga species on sapphire in a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (CVD) system. Under nitrogen-rich growth conditions, Ga has a tendency to adsorb on the substrate surface diffusing to nanowires to contribute to their growth. The significance of surface diffusion on the growth of nanowires is dependent on the environment of the nanowire on the substrate surface as well as the gas phase species and compositions. Under nitrogen-rich growth conditions, the growth rate is strongly dependent on the surface diffusion of gallium, but the addition of 5% hydrogen in nitrogen plasma instantly diminishes the surface diffusion effect. Gallium desorbs easily from the surface by reaction with hydrogen. On the other hand, under gallium-rich growth conditions, nanowire growth is shown to be dominated by the gas phase deposition, with negligible contribution from surface diffusion. This is the first study reporting the inhibition of surface diffusion effects by hydrogen addition, which can be useful in tailoring the growth and characteristics of nanowires. Without any evidence of direct deposition on the nanowire surface, gallium and nitrogen are shown to dissolve into the catalyst for growing the nanowires at 900 degrees C.

Functionalised zinc oxide nanowire gas sensors: Enhanced NO(2) gas sensor response by chemical modification of nanowire surfaces.

PubMed

Waclawik, Eric R; Chang, Jin; Ponzoni, Andrea; Concina, Isabella; Zappa, Dario; Comini, Elisabetta; Motta, Nunzio; Faglia, Guido; Sberveglieri, Giorgio

2012-01-01

Surface coating with an organic self-assembled monolayer (SAM) can enhance surface reactions or the absorption of specific gases and hence improve the response of a metal oxide (MOx) sensor toward particular target gases in the environment. In this study the effect of an adsorbed organic layer on the dynamic response of zinc oxide nanowire gas sensors was investigated. The effect of ZnO surface functionalisation by two different organic molecules, tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (THMA) and dodecanethiol (DT), was studied. The response towards ammonia, nitrous oxide and nitrogen dioxide was investigated for three sensor configurations, namely pure ZnO nanowires, organic-coated ZnO nanowires and ZnO nanowires covered with a sparse layer of organic-coated ZnO nanoparticles. Exposure of the nanowire sensors to the oxidising gas NO(2) produced a significant and reproducible response. ZnO and THMA-coated ZnO nanowire sensors both readily detected NO(2) down to a concentration in the very low ppm range. Notably, the THMA-coated nanowires consistently displayed a small, enhanced response to NO(2) compared to uncoated ZnO nanowire sensors. At the lower concentration levels tested, ZnO nanowire sensors that were coated with THMA-capped ZnO nanoparticles were found to exhibit the greatest enhanced response. ΔR/R was two times greater than that for the as-prepared ZnO nanowire sensors. It is proposed that the ΔR/R enhancement in this case originates from the changes induced in the depletion-layer width of the ZnO nanoparticles that bridge ZnO nanowires resulting from THMA ligand binding to the surface of the particle coating. The heightened response and selectivity to the NO(2) target are positive results arising from the coating of these ZnO nanowire sensors with organic-SAM-functionalised ZnO nanoparticles.

Growth mechanism of surface roughed platinum nanowires through electrodeposition current control and their electrochemical applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruan, Dajiang

The aim of this work is to investigate the effect of current density on the grain size and surface morphology of electrodeposited platinum nanowires and their applications. Platinum (Pt) nanowires were fabricated by a galvanostatic electrodeposition method in a porous anodic alumina oxide (AAO) template with different current densities. Both direct current and pulse current electrodeposition were used to synthesize the Pt nanowires. The grain size and surface morphology of the Pt nanowires were studied by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microcopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The experimental results showed that the current density was the key factor to control the surface roughness. The surface of the Pt nanowires became rougher and the grain sizes were increased by increasing the current densities. From the experimental results, a growth mechanism of Pt nanowires based on progressive nucleation and crystallization was proposed in order to find out the relationship between the surface morphology and current density. The electrochemical properties and catalytic activities of these surface roughed Pt nanowires were investigated in the detection of H20 2 and for the methanol oxidation. Cyclic voltammograms of Pt nanowire modified electrodes were obtained using a potentiostat, which showed that rougher Pt nanowires have higher response and better activity than that of smooth nanowires. For H202 detection, the effect of scan rate and H202 concentration were studied and it was found that the peak current for hydrogen peroxide reduction became larger with the increasing of either scan rate or H202 concentration. It can be inferred that the process of electrocatalytic hydrogen peroxide reduction may be controlled by diffusion of hydrogen peroxide and the Pt nanowire modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) is well suited for the detection of H202. From the relationship between the peak current and square root of scan rates for methanol oxidation, it can be inferred that the process of electrocatalytic methanol oxidation was controlled by diffusion of methanol. To understand the effect of the morphological feature on the electrocatalytic activity of the Pt nanowire catalysts, the electrochemically active surface area (ECSA) as a function of deposited current density was investigated, which suggests that Pt nanowire catalysts deposited at highest current density had the most ECSA surface morphology of the Pt nanowires. The chronoamperometric curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) results confirmed that the Pt nanowire catalyst synthesized at higher current density possessed longer durability and gave more efficient electrochemical performance.

A Review of Organic and Inorganic Biomaterials for Neural Interfaces

PubMed Central

Fattahi, Pouria; Yang, Guang; Kim, Gloria

2015-01-01

Recent advances in nanotechnology have generated wide interest in applying nanomaterials for neural prostheses. An ideal neural interface should create seamless integration into the nervous system and performs reliably for long periods of time. As a result, many nanoscale materials not originally developed for neural interfaces become attractive candidates to detect neural signals and stimulate neurons. In this comprehensive review, an overview of state-of-the-art microelectrode technologies provided first, with focus on the material properties of these microdevices. The advancements in electro active nanomaterials are then reviewed, including conducting polymers, carbon nanotubes, graphene, silicon nanowires, and hybrid organic-inorganic nanomaterials, for neural recording, stimulation, and growth. Finally, technical and scientific challenges are discussed regarding biocompatibility, mechanical mismatch, and electrical properties faced by these nanomaterials for the development of long-lasting functional neural interfaces. PMID:24677434

A review of organic and inorganic biomaterials for neural interfaces.

PubMed

Fattahi, Pouria; Yang, Guang; Kim, Gloria; Abidian, Mohammad Reza

2014-03-26

Recent advances in nanotechnology have generated wide interest in applying nanomaterials for neural prostheses. An ideal neural interface should create seamless integration into the nervous system and performs reliably for long periods of time. As a result, many nanoscale materials not originally developed for neural interfaces become attractive candidates to detect neural signals and stimulate neurons. In this comprehensive review, an overview of state-of-the-art microelectrode technologies provided fi rst, with focus on the material properties of these microdevices. The advancements in electro active nanomaterials are then reviewed, including conducting polymers, carbon nanotubes, graphene, silicon nanowires, and hybrid organic-inorganic nanomaterials, for neural recording, stimulation, and growth. Finally, technical and scientific challenges are discussed regarding biocompatibility, mechanical mismatch, and electrical properties faced by these nanomaterials for the development of long-lasting functional neural interfaces.

Synthesis and characterization of sputtered titanium nitride as a nucleation layer for novel neural electrode coatings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sait, R. A.; Cross, R. B. M.

2017-12-01

A growing demand for chronically implantable electrodes has led to a search for the most suitable neural electrode interface material. Nobel metals such as platinum (Pt) are inadequate for electrode/neuron interfaces at small scales due to their poor electrochemical properties, low charge injection and high charge density per unit area. Titanium nitride (TiN) has been implemented in neural electrodes application due to its outstanding properties. In this work, TiNx films were deposited by non-reactive radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering towards the development of a novel TiN nanowires (NWs) neural interface. Although, there is substantial work on this material, its growth using non-reactive RF magnetron sputtering has not been reported previously and optimised towards the growth of TiN NWs and their use in neural interface applications. The sputtering parameters of RF power and argon (Ar) flow rate were varied in order to investigate their effects on the structural, electrical and electrochemical properties of the TiN films. A dense film morphology was observed in the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of TiN thin films showing a columnar structure. The film preferential orientation was changed between (200) and (111) with Ar flow rate due to the variation of the kinetic energy (KE) of the sputtered atoms. The crystallites size obtained were in the range of 13-95 nm. Surface roughness was found to increase from 0.69 to 1.95 nm as Ar flow rate increased. TiNx films showed a good electrical resistivity of 228 μΩ cm. Stoichiometry was found to vary with sputtering conditions in which the nitrogen content was found to deplete from the film at low Ar flow rate. The electrochemical behaviour of TiN films were characterised and the highest capacitance value obtained was 0.416 mF/cm2. From the results, it can be suggested that TiN thin film can be easily optimised to act as a nucleation layer for the growth of nanowires.

Spin-orbit coupling effects in zinc-blende InSb and wurtzite InAs nanowires: Realistic calculations with multiband k .p method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campos, Tiago; Faria Junior, Paulo E.; Gmitra, Martin; Sipahi, Guilherme M.; Fabian, Jaroslav

2018-06-01

A systematic numerical investigation of spin-orbit fields in the conduction bands of III-V semiconductor nanowires is performed. Zinc-blende (ZB) InSb nanowires are considered along [001], [011], and [111] directions, while wurtzite (WZ) InAs nanowires are studied along [0001] and [10 1 ¯0 ] or [11 2 ¯0 ] directions. Robust multiband k .p Hamiltonians are solved by using plane-wave expansions of real-space parameters. In all cases, the linear and cubic spin-orbit coupling parameters are extracted for nanowire widths from 30 to 100 nm. Typical spin-orbit energies are on the μ eV scale, except for WZ InAs nanowires grown along [10 1 ¯0 ] or [11 2 ¯0 ] , in which the spin-orbit energy is about meV, largely independent of the wire diameter. Significant spin-orbit coupling is obtained by applying a transverse electric field, causing the Rashba effect. For an electric field of about 4 mV/nm, the obtained spin-orbit energies are about 1 meV for both materials in all investigated growth directions. The most favorable system, in which the spin-orbit effects are maximal, are WZ InAs nanowires grown along [1010] or [11 2 ¯0 ] since here spin-orbit energies are giant (meV) already in the absence of electric field. The least favorable are InAs WZ nanowires grown along [0001] since here even the electric field does not increase the spin-orbit energies beyond 0.1 meV. The presented results should be useful for investigations of optical orientation, spin transport, weak localization, and superconducting proximity effects in semiconductor nanowires.

Effect of Crossing Geometry on the Plasmonic Behavior of Dielectric Core/Metal Sheath Nanowires

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-03-01

uniform SERS substrate. The growth of the Ga2O3 nanowires was achieved by the controlled oxidation of pure Ga metal in a vacuum tube furnace.14 The...equations.15 We have previously shown that Ga2O3 /Ag nanowire composites can be very efficient SERS substrates,11,12 and we suggested that the nanowire...detail, we used these Au lithographically produced lines, combined with the placement of individual Ga2O3 /Ag nanowires in specific crossing angles

Construction of Hierarchical CuO/Cu₂O@NiCo₂S₄ Nanowire Arrays on Copper Foam for High Performance Supercapacitor Electrodes.

PubMed

Zhou, Luoxiao; He, Ying; Jia, Congpu; Pavlinek, Vladimir; Saha, Petr; Cheng, Qilin

2017-09-15

Hierarchical copper oxide @ ternary nickel cobalt sulfide (CuO/Cu₂O@NiCo₂S₄) core-shell nanowire arrays on Cu foam have been successfully constructed by a facile two-step strategy. Vertically aligned CuO/Cu₂O nanowire arrays are firstly grown on Cu foam by one-step thermal oxidation of Cu foam, followed by electrodeposition of NiCo₂S₄ nanosheets on the surface of CuO/Cu₂O nanowires to form the CuO/Cu₂O@NiCo₂S₄ core-shell nanostructures. Structural and morphological characterizations indicate that the average thickness of the NiCo₂S₄ nanosheets is ~20 nm and the diameter of CuO/Cu₂O core is ~50 nm. Electrochemical properties of the hierarchical composites as integrated binder-free electrodes for supercapacitor were evaluated by various electrochemical methods. The hierarchical composite electrodes could achieve ultrahigh specific capacitance of 3.186 F cm -2 at 10 mA cm -2 , good rate capability (82.06% capacitance retention at the current density from 2 to 50 mA cm -2 ) and excellent cycling stability, with capacitance retention of 96.73% after 2000 cycles at 10 mA cm -2 . These results demonstrate the significance of optimized design and fabrication of electrode materials with more sufficient electrolyte-electrode interface, robust structural integrity and fast ion/electron transfer.

Effects of gold diffusion on n-type doping of GaAs nanowires.

PubMed

Tambe, Michael J; Ren, Shenqiang; Gradecak, Silvija

2010-11-10

The deposition of n-GaAs shells is explored as a method of n-type doping in GaAs nanowires grown by the Au-mediated metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. Core-shell GaAs/n-GaAs nanowires exhibit an unintended rectifying behavior that is attributed to the Au diffusion during the shell deposition based on studies using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, current-voltage, capacitance-voltage, and Kelvin probe force measurements. Removing the gold prior to n-type shell deposition results in the realization of n-type GaAs nanowires without rectification. We directly correlate the presence of gold impurities to nanowire electrical properties and provide an insight into the role of seed particles on the properties of nanowires and nanowire heterostructures.

The Role of Surface Passivation in Controlling Ge Nanowire Faceting.

PubMed

Gamalski, A D; Tersoff, J; Kodambaka, S; Zakharov, D N; Ross, F M; Stach, E A

2015-12-09

In situ transmission electron microscopy observations of nanowire morphologies indicate that during Au-catalyzed Ge nanowire growth, Ge facets can rapidly form along the nanowire sidewalls when the source gas (here, digermane) flux is decreased or the temperature is increased. This sidewall faceting is accompanied by continuous catalyst loss as Au diffuses from the droplet to the wire surface. We suggest that high digermane flux and low temperatures promote effective surface passivation of Ge nanowires with H or other digermane fragments inhibiting diffusion and attachment of Au and Ge on the sidewalls. These results illustrate the essential roles of the precursor gas and substrate temperature in maintaining nanowire sidewall passivation, necessary to ensure the growth of straight, untapered, ⟨111⟩-oriented nanowires.

Single-Nanowire Electrochemical Probe Detection for Internally Optimized Mechanism of Porous Graphene in Electrochemical Devices.

PubMed

Hu, Ping; Yan, Mengyu; Wang, Xuanpeng; Han, Chunhua; He, Liang; Wei, Xiujuan; Niu, Chaojiang; Zhao, Kangning; Tian, Xiaocong; Wei, Qiulong; Li, Zijia; Mai, Liqiang

2016-03-09

Graphene has been widely used to enhance the performance of energy storage devices due to its high conductivity, large surface area, and excellent mechanical flexibility. However, it is still unclear how graphene influences the electrochemical performance and reaction mechanisms of electrode materials. The single-nanowire electrochemical probe is an effective tool to explore the intrinsic mechanisms of the electrochemical reactions in situ. Here, pure MnO2 nanowires, reduced graphene oxide/MnO2 wire-in-scroll nanowires, and porous graphene oxide/MnO2 wire-in-scroll nanowires are employed to investigate the capacitance, ion diffusion coefficient, and charge storage mechanisms in single-nanowire electrochemical devices. The porous graphene oxide/MnO2 wire-in-scroll nanowire delivers an areal capacitance of 104 nF/μm(2), which is 4.0 and 2.8 times as high as those of reduced graphene oxide/MnO2 wire-in-scroll nanowire and MnO2 nanowire, respectively, at a scan rate of 20 mV/s. It is demonstrated that the reduced graphene oxide wrapping around the MnO2 nanowire greatly increases the electronic conductivity of the active materials, but decreases the ion diffusion coefficient because of the shielding effect of graphene. By creating pores in the graphene, the ion diffusion coefficient is recovered without degradation of the electron transport rate, which significantly improves the capacitance. Such single-nanowire electrochemical probes, which can detect electrochemical processes and behavior in situ, can also be fabricated with other active materials for energy storage and other applications in related fields.

Controllable synthesis of high aspect ratio Mg2B2O5 nanowires and their applications in reinforced polyhydroxyalkanoate composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mo, Zhao-Jun; Chen, Jin-Peng; Lin, Jing; Fan, Ying; Liang, Chun-Yong; Wang, Hong-Shui; Xu, Xue-Wen; Hu, Long; Tang, Cheng-Chun

2014-05-01

Highly pure magnesium borate (Mg2B2O5) nanowires with an average diameter of ~ 30 nm, an average length of ~ 15 μm, and a high aspect ratio of ~ 500 have been synthesized on a large scale via a two-step method. MgBO2(OH) nanowires with high aspect ratios were first prepared via a PVP-assisted hydrothermal technique. Using these nanowires as precursors, single crystalline Mg2B2O5 nanowires were synthesized by post-annealing treatment at a relatively low temperature of 700 °C. The important effect of the MgBO2(OH)—Mg2B2O5 conversion process on the morphology of the Mg2B2O5 nanowires was investigated and it was indicated that the recrystallization process plays an important role in the protection of the one-dimensional (1D) nanostructure. Moreover, the rigidity and the toughness of the Mg2B2O5 nanowire-reinforced PHA composites were tremendously improved compared to those of the pure PHA. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of Mg2B2O5 nanowires for reinforcement applications in polymer composites.

Effect of temperature and geometric parameters on elastic properties of tungsten nanowire: A molecular dynamics study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Saha, Sourav, E-mail: ssaha09@me.buet.ac.bd; Mojumder, Satyajit; Mahboob, Monon

2016-07-12

Tungsten is a promising material and has potential use as battery anode. Tungsten nanowires are gaining attention from researchers all over the world for this wide field of application. In this paper, we investigated effect of temperature and geometric parameters (diameter and aspect ratio) on elastic properties of Tungsten nanowire. Aspect ratios (length to diameter ratio) considered are 8:1, 10:1, and 12:1 while diameter of the nanowire is varied from 1-4 nm. For 2 nm diameter sample (aspect ratio 10:1), temperature is varied (10 K ~ 1500 K) to observe elastic behavior of Tungsten nanowire under uniaxial tensile loading. EAMmore » potential is used for molecular dynamic simulation. We applied constant strain rate of 10{sup 9} s{sup −1} to deform the nanowire. Elastic behavior is expressed through stress vs. strain plot. We also investigated the fracture mechanism of tungsten nanowire and radial distribution function. Investigation suggests peculiar behavior of Tungsten nanowire in nano-scale with double peaks in stress vs. strain diagram. Necking before final fracture suggests that actual elastic behavior of the material is successfully captured through atomistic modeling.« less

Catalytic Activity of Silicon Nanowires Decorated with Gold and Copper Nanoparticles Deposited by Pulsed Laser Ablation

PubMed Central

Casiello, Michele; Fusco, Caterina; Irrera, Alessia; Trusso, Sebastiano; Cotugno, Pietro

2018-01-01

Silicon nanowires (SiNWs) decorated by pulsed laser ablation with gold or copper nanoparticles (labeled as AuNPs@SiNWs and CuNPs@SiNWs) were investigated for their catalytic properties. Results demonstrated high catalytic performances in the Caryl–N couplings and subsequent carbonylations for gold and copper catalysts, respectively, that have no precedents in the literature. The excellent activity, attested by the very high turn over number (TON) values, was due both to the uniform coverage along the NW length and to the absence of the chemical shell surrounding the metal nanoparticles (MeNPs). A high recyclability was also observed and can be ascribed to the strong covalent interaction at the Me–Si interface by virtue of metal “silicides” formation. PMID:29385761

Study of Cu2O\\ZnO nanowires heterojunction designed by combining electrodeposition and atomic layer deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makhlouf, Houssin; Weber, Matthieu; Messaoudi, Olfa; Tingry, Sophie; Moret, Matthieu; Briot, Olivier; Chtoutou, Radhouane; Bechelany, Mikhael

2017-12-01

Cu2O/ZnO nanowires (NWs) heterojunctions were successfully prepared by combining Atomic layer Deposition (ALD) and Electrochemical Deposition (ECD) processes. The crystallinity, morphology and photoconductivity properties of the Cu2O/ZnO nanostructures have been investigated. The properties of the Cu2O absorber layer and the nanostructured heterojunction were studied in order to understand the mechanisms lying behind the low photoconductivity measured. It has been found that the interface state defects and the high resistivity of Cu2O film were limiting the photovoltaic properties of the prepared devices. The understanding presented in this work is expected to enable the optimization of solar cell devices based on Cu2O/ZnO nanomaterials and improve their overall performance.

Catalytic Activity of Silicon Nanowires Decorated with Gold and Copper Nanoparticles Deposited by Pulsed Laser Ablation.

PubMed

Casiello, Michele; Picca, Rosaria Anna; Fusco, Caterina; D'Accolti, Lucia; Leonardi, Antonio Alessio; Lo Faro, Maria Josè; Irrera, Alessia; Trusso, Sebastiano; Cotugno, Pietro; Sportelli, Maria Chiara; Cioffi, Nicola; Nacci, Angelo

2018-01-30

Silicon nanowires (SiNWs) decorated by pulsed laser ablation with gold or copper nanoparticles (labeled as AuNPs@SiNWs and CuNPs@SiNWs) were investigated for their catalytic properties. Results demonstrated high catalytic performances in the C aryl -N couplings and subsequent carbonylations for gold and copper catalysts, respectively, that have no precedents in the literature. The excellent activity, attested by the very high turn over number (TON) values, was due both to the uniform coverage along the NW length and to the absence of the chemical shell surrounding the metal nanoparticles (MeNPs). A high recyclability was also observed and can be ascribed to the strong covalent interaction at the Me-Si interface by virtue of metal "silicides" formation.

A metal-semiconductor-metal detector based on ZnO nanowires grown on a graphene layer.

PubMed

Xu, Qiang; Cheng, Qijin; Zhong, Jinxiang; Cai, Weiwei; Zhang, Zifeng; Wu, Zhengyun; Zhang, Fengyan

2014-02-07

High quality ZnO nanowires (NWs) were grown on a graphene layer by a hydrothermal method. The ZnO NWs revealed higher uniform surface morphology and better structural properties than ZnO NWs grown on SiO2/Si substrate. A low dark current metal-semiconductor-metal photodetector based on ZnO NWs with Au Schottky contact has also been fabricated. The photodetector displays a low dark current of 1.53 nA at 1 V bias and a large UV-to-visible rejection ratio (up to four orders), which are significantly improved compared to conventional ZnO NW photodetectors. The improvement in UV detection performance is attributed to the existence of a surface plasmon at the interface of the ZnO and the graphene.

In situ TEM observation of heterogeneous phase transition of a constrained single-crystalline Ag2Te nanowire.

PubMed

In, Juneho; Yoo, Youngdong; Kim, Jin-Gyu; Seo, Kwanyong; Kim, Hyunju; Ihee, Hyotchel; Oh, Sang Ho; Kim, Bongsoo

2010-11-10

Laterally epitaxial single crystalline Ag2Te nanowires (NWs) are synthesized on sapphire substrates by the vapor transport method. We observed the phase transitions of these Ag2Te NWs via in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) after covering them with Pt layers. The constrained NW shows phase transition from monoclinic to a body-centered cubic (bcc) structure near the interfaces, which is ascribed to the thermal stress caused by differences in the thermal expansion coefficients. Furthermore, we observed the nucleation and growth of bcc phase penetrating into the face-centered cubic matrix at 200 °C by high-resolution TEM in real time. Our results would provide valuable insight into how compressive stresses imposed by overlayers affect behaviors of nanodevices.

Near-thermal limit gating in heavily doped III-V semiconductor nanowires using polymer electrolytes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ullah, A. R.; Carrad, D. J.; Krogstrup, P.; Nygârd, J.; Micolich, A. P.

2018-02-01

Doping is a common route to reducing nanowire transistor on-resistance but it has limits. A high doping level gives significant loss in gate performance and ultimately complete gate failure. We show that electrolyte gating remains effective even when the Be doping in our GaAs nanowires is so high that traditional metal-oxide gates fail. In this regime we obtain a combination of subthreshold swing and contact resistance that surpasses the best existing p -type nanowire metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs). Our subthreshold swing of 75 mV/dec is within 25 % of the room-temperature thermal limit and comparable with n -InP and n -GaAs nanowire MOSFETs. Our results open a new path to extending the performance and application of nanowire transistors, and motivate further work on improved solid electrolytes for nanoscale device applications.

ZnO nanostructures as electron extraction layers for hybrid perovskite thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nikolaidou, Katerina; Sarang, Som; Tung, Vincent; Lu, Jennifer; Ghosh, Sayantani

Optimum interaction between light harvesting media and electron transport layers is critical for the efficient operation of photovoltaic devices. In this work, ZnO layers of different morphologies are implemented as electron extraction and transport layers for hybrid perovskite CH3NH3PbI3 thin films. These include nanowires, nanoparticles, and single crystalline film. Charge transfer at the ZnO/perovskite interface is investigated and compared through ultra-fast characterization techniques, including temperature and power dependent spectroscopy, and time-resolved photoluminescence. The nanowires cause an enhancement in perovskite emission, which may be attributed to increased scattering and grain boundary formation. However, the ZnO layers with decreasing surface roughness exhibit better electron extraction, as inferred from photoluminescence quenching, reduction in the number of bound excitons, and reduced exciton lifetime in CH3NH3PbI3 samples. This systematic study is expected to provide an understanding of the fundamental processes occurring at the ZnO-CH3NH3PbI3 interface and ultimately, provide guidelines for the ideal configuration of ZnO-based hybrid Perovskite devices. This research was supported by National Aeronautics and Space administration (NASA) Grant No: NNX15AQ01A.

Differences in optoelectronic properties between H-saturated and unsaturated GaN nanowires with DFT method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diao, Yu; Liu, Lei; Xia, Sihao; Kong, Yike

2017-05-01

To investigate the influences of dangling bonds on GaN nanowires surface, the differences in optoelectronic properties between H-saturated and unsaturated GaN nanowires are researched through first-principles study. The GaN nanowires along the [0001] growth direction with diameters of 3.7, 7.5 and 9.5 Å are considered. According to the results, H-saturated GaN nanowires are more stable than the unsaturated ones. With increasing nanowire diameter, unsaturated GaN nanowires become more stable, while the stability of H-saturated GaN nanowires has little change. After geometry optimization, the atomic displacements of unsaturated and H-saturated models are almost reversed. In (0001) crystal plane, Ga atoms tend to move inwards and N atoms tend to move outwards slightly for the unsaturated nanowires, while Ga atoms tend to move outwards and N atoms tend to move inwards slightly for the H-saturated nanowires. Besides, with increasing nanowire diameter, the conduction band minimum of H-saturated nanowire moves to the lower energy side, while that of the unsaturated nanowire changes slightly. The bandgaps of H-saturated nanowires are approaching to bulk GaN as the diameter increases. Absorption curves and reflectivity curves of the unsaturated and H-saturated nanowires exhibit the same trend with the change of energy except the H-saturated models which show larger variations. Through all the calculated results above, we can better understand the effects of dangling bonds on the optoelectronic properties of GaN nanowires and select more proper calculation models and methods for other calculations.

Bending nanowire growth in solution by mechanical disturbance.

PubMed

Wang, Chao; Wei, Yujie; Jiang, Hongyuan; Sun, Shouheng

2010-06-09

The effect of mechanical disturbance on one-dimensional nanocrystal growth in solution phase is investigated by controlled growth of Au nanowires with and without stirring. While a static growth leads to straight, single-crystal Au nanowires, the mechanic disturbance by stirring tends to bend the nanowire growth, yielding nanowire kinks abundant in various types of crystal defects including dislocations, twin boundaries, and grain boundaries. Mechanical modeling and analysis is introduced to elucidate the nanowire growth mechanisms in these two conditions. The provided fundamental understanding of crystal defect formation at nanoscale could be applied to guide the development of advanced nanomaterials with shape control and unique mechanical properties.

The Mechanical Properties of Nanowires

PubMed Central

Wang, Shiliang; Shan, Zhiwei

2017-01-01

Applications of nanowires into future generation nanodevices require a complete understanding of the mechanical properties of the nanowires. A great research effort has been made in the past two decades to understand the deformation physics and mechanical behaviors of nanowires, and to interpret the discrepancies between experimental measurements and theoretical predictions. This review focused on the characterization and understanding of the mechanical properties of nanowires, including elasticity, plasticity, anelasticity and strength. As the results from the previous literature in this area appear inconsistent, a critical evaluation of the characterization techniques and methodologies were presented. In particular, the size effects of nanowires on the mechanical properties and their deformation mechanisms were discussed. PMID:28435775

Electrical and optical evaluation of n-type doping in In x Ga(1-x)P nanowires.

PubMed

Zeng, Xulu; Mourão, Renato T; Otnes, Gaute; Hultin, Olof; Dagytė, Vilgailė; Heurlin, Magnus; Borgström, Magnus T

2018-06-22

To harvest the benefits of III-V nanowires in optoelectronic devices, the development of ternary materials with controlled doping is needed. In this work, we performed a systematic study of n-type dopant incorporation in dense In x Ga (1-x) P nanowire arrays using tetraethyl tin (TESn) and hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) as dopant precursors. The morphology, crystal structure and material composition of the nanowires were characterized by use of scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive x-ray analysis. To investigate the electrical properties, the nanowires were broken off from the substrate and mechanically transferred to thermally oxidized silicon substrates, after which electron beam lithography and metal evaporation were used to define electrical contacts to selected nanowires. Electrical characterization, including four-probe resistivity and Hall effect, as well as back-gated field effect measurements, is combined with photoluminescence spectroscopy to achieve a comprehensive evaluation of the carrier concentration in the doped nanowires. We measure a carrier concentration of ∼1 × 10 16 cm -3 in nominally intrinsic nanowires, and the maximum doping level achieved by use of TESn and H 2 S as dopant precursors using our parameters is measured to be ∼2 × 10 18 cm -3 , and ∼1 × 10 19 cm -3 , respectively (by Hall effect measurements). Hence, both TESn and H 2 S are suitable precursors for a wide range of n-doping levels in In x Ga (1-x) P nanowires needed for optoelectronic devices, grown via the vapor-liquid-solid mode.

Electrical and optical evaluation of n-type doping in In x Ga(1‑x)P nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Xulu; Mourão, Renato T.; Otnes, Gaute; Hultin, Olof; Dagytė, Vilgailė; Heurlin, Magnus; Borgström, Magnus T.

2018-06-01

To harvest the benefits of III–V nanowires in optoelectronic devices, the development of ternary materials with controlled doping is needed. In this work, we performed a systematic study of n-type dopant incorporation in dense In x Ga(1‑x)P nanowire arrays using tetraethyl tin (TESn) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) as dopant precursors. The morphology, crystal structure and material composition of the nanowires were characterized by use of scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive x-ray analysis. To investigate the electrical properties, the nanowires were broken off from the substrate and mechanically transferred to thermally oxidized silicon substrates, after which electron beam lithography and metal evaporation were used to define electrical contacts to selected nanowires. Electrical characterization, including four-probe resistivity and Hall effect, as well as back-gated field effect measurements, is combined with photoluminescence spectroscopy to achieve a comprehensive evaluation of the carrier concentration in the doped nanowires. We measure a carrier concentration of ∼1 × 1016 cm‑3 in nominally intrinsic nanowires, and the maximum doping level achieved by use of TESn and H2S as dopant precursors using our parameters is measured to be ∼2 × 1018 cm‑3, and ∼1 × 1019 cm‑3, respectively (by Hall effect measurements). Hence, both TESn and H2S are suitable precursors for a wide range of n-doping levels in In x Ga(1‑x)P nanowires needed for optoelectronic devices, grown via the vapor–liquid–solid mode.

Effects of Etching Time and NaOH Concentration on the Production of Alumina Nanowires Using Porous Anodic Alumina Template

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sadeghpour-Motlagh, M.; Mokhtari-Zonouzi, K.; Aghajani, H.; Kakroudi, M. Ghassemi

2014-06-01

In this work, two-step anodizing of commercial aluminum foil in acid oxalic solution was applied for producing alumina film. Then the anodic alumina film was etched in sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution resulting dense and aligned alumina nanowires. This procedure leads to splitting of alumina nanotubes. Subsequently nanowires are produced. The effects of NaOH solution concentration (0.2-1 mol/L) and etching time (60-300 s) at constant temperature on characteristic of nanotubes and produced nanowires were investigated using scanning electron microscopy. The results show that an increase in NaOH solution concentration increases the rate of nanowires production and in turn the manipulation process will be more specific.

Preparation and electrical properties of electrospun tin-doped indium oxide nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Dandan; Wu, Hui; Zhang, Rui; Pan, Wei

2007-11-01

Well-aligned tin-doped indium (ITO) nanowires have been prepared using the electrospinning process. The Sn doping mechanism and microstructure have been characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Devices for I-V measurement and field-effect transistors (FETs) were assembled using ITO nanowires with top contact configurations. The effect of Sn doping on the electrical conductivity was significant in that it enhanced the conductance by over 107 times, up to ~1 S cm-1 for ITO nanowires with an Sn content of 17.5 at.%. The nanowire FETs were operated in the depletion mode with an electron mobility of up to 0.45 cm2 V-1 s-1 and an on/off ratio of 103.

A theoretical approach to study the melting temperature of metallic nanowires

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Arora, Neha; Joshi, Deepika P.

2016-05-23

The physical properties of any material change with the change of its size from bulk range to nano range. A theoretical study to account for the size and shape effect on melting temperature of metallic nanowires has been done. We have studied zinc (Zn), indium (In), lead (Pb) and tin (Sn) nanowires with three different cross sectional shapes like regular triangular, square and regular hexagonal. Variation of melting temperature with the size and shape is graphically represented with the available experimental data. It was found that melting temperature of the nanowires decreases with decrement in the size of nanowire, duemore » to surface effect and at very small size the most probable shape also varies with material.« less

The effect of doping on low temperature growth of high quality GaAs nanowires on polycrystalline films

PubMed Central

DeJarld, Matt; Teran, Alan; Luengo-Kovac, Marta; Yan, Lifan; Moon, Eun Seong; Beck, Sara; Guillen, Cristina; Sih, Vanessa; Phillips, Jamie; Milunchick, Joanna Mirecki

2016-01-01

The increasing demand for miniature autonomous sensors requires low cost integration methods, but to date, material limitations have prevented the direct growth of optically active III-V materials on CMOS devices. We report on the deposition of GaAs nanowires on polycrystalline conductive films to allow for direct integration of optoelectronic devices on dissimilar materials. Undoped, Si-doped, and Be-doped nanowires were grown at Ts=400°C on oxide (indium tin oxide) and metallic (platinum and titanium) films. Be-doping is shown to significantly reduce the nanowire diameter and improve the nanowire aspect ratio to 50:1. Photoluminescence measurements of Be-doped nanowires are 1–2 orders of magnitude stronger than undoped and Si-doped nanowires and have a thermal activation energy of 14meV, which is comparable to nanowires grown on crystalline substrates. Electrical measurements confirm that the metal-semiconductor junction is Ohmic. These results demonstrate the feasibility of integrating nanowire-based optoelectronic devices directly on CMOS chips. PMID:27834310

Guided growth of horizontal GaN nanowires on quartz and their transfer to other substrates.

PubMed

Goren-Ruck, Lior; Tsivion, David; Schvartzman, Mark; Popovitz-Biro, Ronit; Joselevich, Ernesto

2014-03-25

The guided growth of horizontal nanowires has so far been demonstrated on a limited number of substrates. In most cases, the nanowires are covalently bonded to the substrate where they grow and cannot be transferred to other substrates. Here we demonstrate the guided growth of well-aligned horizontal GaN nanowires on quartz and their subsequent transfer to silicon wafers by selective etching of the quartz while maintaining their alignment. The guided growth was observed on different planes of quartz with varying degrees of alignment. We characterized the crystallographic orientations of the nanowires and proposed a new mechanism of "dynamic graphoepitaxy" for their guided growth on quartz. The transfer of the guided nanowires enabled the fabrication of back-gated field-effect transistors from aligned nanowire arrays on oxidized silicon wafers and the production of crossbar arrays. The guided growth of transferrable nanowires opens up the possibility of massively parallel integration of nanowires into functional systems on virtually any desired substrate.

Electron Transport Properties of Ge nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanrath, Tobias; Khondaker, Saiful I.; Yao, Zhen; Korgel, Brian A.

2003-03-01

Electron Transport Properties of Ge nanowires Tobias Hanrath*, Saiful I. Khondaker, Zhen Yao, Brian A. Korgel* *Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Dept. of Physics, Texas Materials Institute, and Center for Nano- and Molecular Science and Technology University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712-1062 e-mail: korgel@mail.che.utexas.edu Germanium (Ge) nanowires with diameters ranging from 6 to 50 nm and several micrometer in length were grown via a supercritical fluid-liquid-solid synthesis. Parallel electron energy loss spectroscopy (PEELS) was employed to study the band structure and electron density in the Ge nanowires. The observed increase in plasmon peak energy and peak width with decreasing nanowire diameter is attributed to quantum confinement effects. For electrical characterization, Ge nanowires were deposited onto a patterned Si/SiO2 substrate. E-beam lithography was then used to form electrode contacts to individual nanowires. The influence of nanowire diameter, surface chemistry and crystallographic defects on electron transport properties were investigated and the comparison of Ge nanowire conductivity with respect to bulk, intrinsic Ge will be presented.

Extraordinarily high conductivity of flexible adhesive films by hybrids of silver nanoparticle-nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muhammed Ajmal, C.; Mol Menamparambath, Mini; Ryeol Choi, Hyouk; Baik, Seunghyun

2016-06-01

Highly conductive flexible adhesive (CFA) film was developed using micro-sized silver flakes (primary fillers), hybrids of silver nanoparticle-nanowires (secondary fillers) and nitrile butadiene rubber. The hybrids of silver nanoparticle-nanowires were synthesized by decorating silver nanowires with silver nanoparticle clusters using bifunctional cysteamine as a linker. The dispersion in ethanol was excellent for several months. Silver nanowires constructed electrical networks between the micro-scale silver flakes. The low-temperature surface sintering of silver nanoparticles enabled effective joining of silver nanowires to silver flakes. The hybrids of silver nanoparticle-nanowires provided a greater maximum conductivity (54 390 S cm-1) than pure silver nanowires, pure multiwalled carbon nanotubes, and multiwalled carbon nanotubes decorated with silver nanoparticles in nitrile butadiene rubber matrix. The resistance change was smallest upon bending when the hybrids of silver nanoparticle-nanowires were employed. The adhesion of the film on polyethylene terephthalate substrate was excellent. Light emitting diodes were successfully wired to the CFA circuit patterned by the screen printing method for application demonstration.

Spatially resolved Hall effect measurement in a single semiconductor nanowire.

PubMed

Storm, Kristian; Halvardsson, Filip; Heurlin, Magnus; Lindgren, David; Gustafsson, Anders; Wu, Phillip M; Monemar, Bo; Samuelson, Lars

2012-11-01

Efficient light-emitting diodes and photovoltaic energy-harvesting devices are expected to play an important role in the continued efforts towards sustainable global power consumption. Semiconductor nanowires are promising candidates as the active components of both light-emitting diodes and photovoltaic cells, primarily due to the added freedom in device design offered by the nanowire geometry. However, for nanowire-based components to move past the proof-of-concept stage and be implemented in production-grade devices, it is necessary to precisely quantify and control fundamental material properties such as doping and carrier mobility. Unfortunately, the nanoscale geometry that makes nanowires interesting for applications also makes them inherently difficult to characterize. Here, we report a method to carry out Hall measurements on single core-shell nanowires. Our technique allows spatially resolved and quantitative determination of the carrier concentration and mobility of the nanowire shell. As Hall measurements have previously been completely unavailable for nanowires, the experimental platform presented here should facilitate the implementation of nanowires in advanced practical devices.

Opto-mechano-electrical tripling in ZnO nanowires probed by photocurrent spectroscopy in a high-resolution transmission electron microscope

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, C.; Golberg, D., E-mail: xuzhi@iphy.ac.cn, E-mail: golberg.dmitri@nims.go.jp; Graduate School of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tennodai 1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 3058577

2015-08-31

Photocurrent spectroscopy of individual free-standing ZnO nanowires inside a high-resolution transmission electron microscope (TEM) is reported. By using specially designed optical in situ TEM system capable of scanning tunneling microscopy probing paired with light illumination, opto-mechano-electrical tripling phenomenon in ZnO nanowires is demonstrated. Splitting of photocurrent spectra at around 3.3 eV under in situ TEM bending of ZnO nanowires directly corresponds to nanowire deformation and appearance of expanded and compressed nanowire sides. Theoretical simulation of a bent ZnO nanowire has an excellent agreement with the experimental data. The splitting effect could be explained by a change in the valence band structuremore » of ZnO nanowires due to a lattice strain. The strain-induced splitting provides important clues for future flexible piezo-phototronics.« less

The effect of V/III ratio on the morphology and structure of GaAs nanowires by MOCVD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yan; Peng, Yan; Guo, Jingwei; La, Dongsheng; Xu, Zhaopeng

2018-05-01

In this paper, GaAs nanowires with different V/III ratios (70, 140, 280 and 560) were vertically grown from bottom to top on GaAs substrates by using metal organic chemical vapor deposition based on gold assisted vapor-liquid-solid mechanism. It is found that the growth rate of nanowires is inversely proportional to their V/III ratio. And the V/III ratio can also change nanowire growth type. For the nanowire with small V/III ratios (≤280), the reactants are most from those atoms merged in the catalyst. But, for the nanowire with V/III ratio 560, the contribution mainly comes from the diffusions of atoms pyrolyzed on the surface of the nanowire and the substrate. A shrunken neck under the catalyst is observed in TEM characterizations. These results will provide a theoretical basis for potential practical applications of nanowire-based devices.

Guided Growth of Horizontal p-Type ZnTe Nanowires

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

A major challenge toward large-scale integration of nanowires is the control over their alignment and position. A possible solution to this challenge is the guided growth process, which enables the synthesis of well-aligned horizontal nanowires that grow according to specific epitaxial or graphoepitaxial relations with the substrate. However, the guided growth of horizontal nanowires was demonstrated for a limited number of materials, most of which exhibit unintentional n-type behavior. Here we demonstrate the vapor–liquid–solid growth of guided horizontal ZnTe nanowires and nanowalls displaying p-type behavior on four different planes of sapphire. The growth directions of the nanowires are determined by epitaxial relations between the nanowires and the substrate or by a graphoepitaxial effect that guides their growth along nanogrooves or nanosteps along the surface. We characterized the crystallographic orientations and elemental composition of the nanowires using transmission electron microscopy and photoluminescence. The optoelectronic and electronic properties of the nanowires were studied by fabricating photodetectors and top-gate thin film transistors. These measurements showed that the guided ZnTe nanowires are p-type semiconductors and are photoconductive in the visible range. The guided growth of horizontal p-type nanowires opens up the possibility of parallel nanowire integration into functional systems with a variety of potential applications not available by other means. PMID:27885331

Guided Growth of Horizontal p-Type ZnTe Nanowires.

PubMed

Reut, Gilad; Oksenberg, Eitan; Popovitz-Biro, Ronit; Rechav, Katya; Joselevich, Ernesto

2016-08-04

A major challenge toward large-scale integration of nanowires is the control over their alignment and position. A possible solution to this challenge is the guided growth process, which enables the synthesis of well-aligned horizontal nanowires that grow according to specific epitaxial or graphoepitaxial relations with the substrate. However, the guided growth of horizontal nanowires was demonstrated for a limited number of materials, most of which exhibit unintentional n-type behavior. Here we demonstrate the vapor-liquid-solid growth of guided horizontal ZnTe nanowires and nanowalls displaying p-type behavior on four different planes of sapphire. The growth directions of the nanowires are determined by epitaxial relations between the nanowires and the substrate or by a graphoepitaxial effect that guides their growth along nanogrooves or nanosteps along the surface. We characterized the crystallographic orientations and elemental composition of the nanowires using transmission electron microscopy and photoluminescence. The optoelectronic and electronic properties of the nanowires were studied by fabricating photodetectors and top-gate thin film transistors. These measurements showed that the guided ZnTe nanowires are p-type semiconductors and are photoconductive in the visible range. The guided growth of horizontal p-type nanowires opens up the possibility of parallel nanowire integration into functional systems with a variety of potential applications not available by other means.

Effect of gamma radiation on the optical and structural properties of ZnO nanowires with various diameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reyhani, A.; Gholizadeh, A.; vahedi, V.; Khanlary, M. R.

2018-01-01

The effects of gamma-irradiation are studied on the morphology and structural properties of ZnO nanowire with various diameters. The ZnO nanowires are grown using Zn thin films at various initial thicknesses including 125, 250 and 500 nm in air ambient. The results illustrate dramatic effects of Gamma-irradiation on the deformation of ZnO nanowires. Thus, radiation induce ripple ZnO surfaces instead ZnO nanowires. Gamma-irradiation has also been effective on the optical and crystalline properties of the nanowires. X-ray diffraction attests that size of the ZnO nano-structures has changed and (l00) crystalline direction related to Zn metal has been created after irradiation. UV-Visible spectra display two areas for transmittance of irradiated ZnO nanowires, one in the Visible-light and the other in IR sub-region. In the Visible-light area, the layer gets thicker from 125 to 500 nm; the difference between the layer transmittance spectra is reduced before and after gamma irradiation. In the IR-light region, with increasing of ZnO initial thickness, the difference between the layer transmittance spectra is increased before and after gamma irradiation. The photoluminescence spectroscopy displays that intensity of green-yellow band improves in compared to near-band-edge emission due to formation of Zn metal and oxygen vacancies after gamma irradiation.

Fabrication of single Ga-doped ZnS nanowires as high-gain photosensors by focused ion beam deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yen, Shih-Hsiang; Hung, Yu-Chen; Yeh, Ping-Hung; Su, Ya-Wen; Wang, Chiu-Yen

2017-09-01

ZnS nanowires were synthesized via a vapor-liquid-solid mechanism and then fabricated into a single-nanowire field-effect transistor by focused ion beam (FIB) deposition. The field-effect electrical properties of the FIB-fabricated ZnS nanowire device, namely conductivity, mobility and hole concentration, were 9.13 Ω-1 cm-1, 13.14 cm2 V-1 s-1and 4.27 × 1018 cm-3, respectively. The photoresponse properties of the ZnS nanowires were studied and the current responsivity, current gain, response time and recovery time were 4.97 × 106 A W-1, 2.43 × 107, 9 s and 24 s, respectively. Temperature-dependent I-V measurements were used to analyze the interfacial barrier height between ZnS and the FIB-deposited Pt electrode. The results show that the interfacial barrier height is as low as 40 meV. The energy-dispersive spectrometer elemental line scan shows the influence of Ga ions on the ZnS nanowire surface on the FIB-deposited Pt contact electrodes. The results of temperature-dependent I-V measurements and the elemental line scan indicate that Ga ions were doped into the ZnS nanowire, reducing the barrier height between the FIB-deposited Pt electrodes and the single ZnS nanowire. The small barrier height results in the FIB-fabricated ZnS nanowire device acting as a high-gain photosensor.

The role of surface passivation in controlling Ge nanowire faceting

DOE PAGES

Gamalski, A. D.; Tersoff, J.; Kodambaka, S.; ...

2015-11-05

In situ transmission electron microscopy observations of nanowire morphologies indicate that during Au-catalyzed Ge nanowire growth, Ge facets can rapidly form along the nanowire sidewalls when the source gas (here, digermane) flux is decreased or the temperature is increased. This sidewall faceting is accompanied by continuous catalyst loss as Au diffuses from the droplet to the wire surface. We suggest that high digermane flux and low temperatures promote effective surface passivation of Ge nanowires with H or other digermane fragments inhibiting diffusion and attachment of Au and Ge on the sidewalls. Furthermore, these results illustrate the essential roles of themore » precursor gas and substrate temperature in maintaining nanowire sidewall passivation, necessary to ensure the growth of straight, untapered, <111>-oriented nanowires.« less

Diameter Tuning of β-Ga2O3 Nanowires Using Chemical Vapor Deposition Technique.

PubMed

Kumar, Mukesh; Kumar, Vikram; Singh, R

2017-12-01

Diameter tuning of [Formula: see text]-Ga 2 O 3 nanowires using chemical vapor deposition technique have been investigated under various experimental conditions. Diameter of root grown [Formula: see text]-Ga 2 O 3 nanowires having monoclinic crystal structure is tuned by varying separation distance between metal source and substrate. Effect of gas flow rate and mixer ratio on the morphology and diameter of nanowires has been studied. Nanowire diameter depends on growth temperature, and it is independent of catalyst nanoparticle size at higher growth temperature (850-900 °C) as compared to lower growth temperature (800 °C). These nanowires show changes in structural strain value with change in diameter. Band-gap of nanowires increases with decrease in the diameter.

Electron transport in zinc-blende wurtzite biphasic gallium nitride nanowires and GaNFETs

DOE PAGES

Jacobs, Benjamin W.; Ayres, Virginia M.; Stallcup, Richard E.; ...

2007-10-19

Two-point and four-point probe electrical measurements of a biphasic gallium nitride nanowire and current–voltage characteristics of a gallium nitride nanowire based field effect transistor are reported. The biphasic gallium nitride nanowires have a crystalline homostructure consisting of wurtzite and zinc-blende phases that grow simultaneously in the longitudinal direction. There is a sharp transition of one to a few atomic layers between each phase. Here, all measurements showed high current densities. Evidence of single-phase current transport in the biphasic nanowire structure is discussed.

Transfer matrix method solving interface optical phonons in wurtzite core-multishell nanowires of III-nitrides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xue, Z. X.; Qu, Y.; Xie, H.; Ban, S. L.

2016-12-01

Within the framework of dielectric continuum and Loudon's uniaxial crystal models, the transfer matrix method (TMM) is developed to investigate interface optical phonons (IOPs) in cylindrical wurtzite core-multishell nanowires (CMSNWs) consisting of ternary mixed crystals (TMCs). The IOPs in GaN/InxGa1-xN/InyGa1-yN and GaN/InxGa1-xN/InyGa1-yN/InzGa1-zN CMSNWs are calculated as examples. The results show that there may be several types of IOPs existing in certain frequency regions in CMSNWs for a given component due to the phonon dispersion anisotropy in wurtzite nitrides. The IOPs are classified by possible combinations of the interfaces in CMSNWs. Furthermore, the dispersion relations and electro-static potentials of each kind of IOPs are discussed in detail. The dispersion relations of IOPs in CMSNWs is found to be the combination of that in each nearest two layer CSNW. It can explain the fact that the total branch number of IOPs obey the 2n rule. It is also found that the peak positions of electro-static potentials are decided by the layer component order from the inner layer to outside in CMSNWs. The results indicate that TMM for IOPs is available and can be commodiously extended to other cylindrical wurtzite III-nitride CMSNWs. Based on this method, one can further discuss the IOPs related photoelectric properties in nitride CMSNWs consisting of TMCs.

Trap-assisted tunneling in Si-InAs nanowire heterojunction tunnel diodes.

PubMed

Bessire, Cedric D; Björk, Mikael T; Schmid, Heinz; Schenk, Andreas; Reuter, Kathleen B; Riel, Heike

2011-10-12

We report on the electrical characterization of one-sided p(+)-si/n-InAs nanowire heterojunction tunnel diodes to provide insight into the tunnel process occurring in this highly lattice mismatched material system. The lattice mismatch gives rise to dislocations at the interface as confirmed by electron microscopy. Despite this, a negative differential resistance with peak-to-valley current ratios of up to 2.4 at room temperature and with large current densities is observed, attesting to the very abrupt and high-quality interface. The presence of dislocations and other defects that increase the excess current is evident in the first and second derivative of the I-V characteristics as distinct peaks arising from trap-and phonon-assisted tunneling via the corresponding defect levels. We observe this assisted tunneling mainly in the forward direction and at low reverse bias but not at higher reverse biases because the band-to-band generation rates are peaked in the InAs, which is also confirmed by modeling. This indicates that most of the peaks are due to dislocations and defects in the immediate vicinity of the interface. Finally, we also demonstrate that these devices are very sensitive to electrical stress, in particular at room temperature, because of the extremely high electrical fields obtained at the abrupt junction even at low bias. The electrical stress induces additional defect levels in the band gap, which reduce the peak-to-valley current ratios.

Single In x Ga1-x As nanowire/p-Si heterojunction based nano-rectifier diode.

PubMed

Sarkar, K; Palit, M; Guhathakurata, S; Chattopadhyay, S; Banerji, P

2017-09-20

Nanoscale power supply units will be indispensable for fabricating next generation smart nanoelectronic integrated circuits. Fabrication of nanoscale rectifier circuits on a Si platform is required for integrating nanoelectronic devices with on-chip power supply units. In the present study, a nanorectifier diode based on a single standalone In x Ga 1-x As nanowire/p-Si (111) heterojunction fabricated by metal organic chemical vapor deposition technique has been studied. The nanoheterojunction diodes have shown good rectification and fast switching characteristics. The rectification characteristics of the nanoheterojunction have been demonstrated by different standard waveforms of sinusoidal, square, sawtooth and triangular for two different frequencies of 1 and 0.1 Hz. Reverse recovery time of around 150 ms has been observed in all wave response. A half wave rectifier circuit with a simple capacitor filter has been assembled with this nanoheterojunction diode which provides 12% output efficiency. The transport of carriers through the heterojunction is investigated. The interface states density of the nanoheterojunction has also been determined. Occurrence of output waveforms incommensurate with the input is attributed to higher series resistance of the diode which is further explained considering the dimension of p-side and n-side of the junction. The sudden change of ideality factor after 1.7 V bias is attributed to recombination through interface states in space charge region. Low interface states density as well as high rectification ratio makes this heterojunction diode a promising candidate for future nanoscale electronics.

Length-dependent mechanical properties of gold nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Jing; Fang, Liang; Sun, Jiapeng; Han, Ying; Sun, Kun

2012-12-01

The well-known "size effect" is not only related to the diameter but also to the length of the small volume materials. It is unfortunate that the length effect on the mechanical behavior of nanowires is rarely explored in contrast to the intensive studies of the diameter effect. The present paper pays attention to the length-dependent mechanical properties of <111>-oriented single crystal gold nanowires employing the large-scale molecular dynamics simulation. It is discovered that the ultrashort Au nanowires exhibit a new deformation and failure regime-high elongation and high strength. The constrained dislocation nucleation and transient dislocation slipping are observed as the dominant mechanism for such unique combination of high strength and high elongation. A mechanical model based on image force theory is developed to provide an insight to dislocation nucleation and capture the yield strength and nucleation site of first partial dislocation indicated by simulation results. Increasing the length of the nanowires, the ductile-to-brittle transition is confirmed. And the new explanation is suggested in the predict model of this transition. Inspired by the superior properties, a new approach to strengthen and toughen nanowires-hard/soft/hard sandwich structured nanowires is suggested. A preliminary evidence from the molecular dynamics simulation corroborates the present opinion.

Silicon nanowire biologically sensitive field effect transistors: electrical characteristics and applications.

PubMed

Rim, Taiuk; Baek, Chang-Ki; Kim, Kihyun; Jeong, Yoon-Ha; Lee, Jeong-Soo; Meyyappan, M

2014-01-01

The interest in biologically sensitive field effect transistors (BioFETs) is growing explosively due to their potential as biosensors in biomedical, environmental monitoring and security applications. Recently, adoption of silicon nanowires in BioFETs has enabled enhancement of sensitivity, device miniaturization, decreasing power consumption and emerging applications such as the 3D cell probe. In this review, we describe the device physics and operation of the silicon nanowire BioFETs along with recent advances in the field. The silicon nanowire BioFETs are basically the same as the conventional field-effect transistors (FETs) with the exceptions of nanowire channel instead of thin film and a liquid gate instead of the conventional gate. Therefore, the silicon device physics is important to understand the operation of the BioFETs. Herein, physical characteristics of the silicon nanowire FETs are described and the operational principles of the BioFETs are classified according to the number of gates and the analysis domain of the measured signal. Even the bottom-up process has merits on low-cost fabrication; the top-down process technique is highlighted here due to its reliability and reproducibility. Finally, recent advances in the silicon nanowire BioFETs in the literature are described and key features for commercialization are discussed.

Localized, stepwise template growth of functional nanowires from an amino acid-supported framework in a microfluidic chip.

PubMed

Puigmartí-Luis, Josep; Rubio-Martínez, Marta; Imaz, Inhar; Cvetković, Benjamin Z; Abad, Llibertat; Pérez Del Pino, Angel; Maspoch, Daniel; Amabilino, David B

2014-01-28

A spatially controlled synthesis of nanowire bundles of the functional crystalline coordination polymer (CP) Ag(I)TCNQ (tetracyanoquinodimethane) from previously fabricated and trapped monovalent silver CP (Ag(I)Cys (cysteine)) using a room-temperature microfluidic-assisted templated growth method is demonstrated. The incorporation of microengineered pneumatic clamps in a two-layer polydimethylsiloxane-based (PDMS) microfluidic platform was used. Apart from guiding the formation of the Ag(I)Cys coordination polymer, this microfluidic approach enables a local trapping of the in situ synthesized structures with a simple pneumatic clamp actuation. This method not only enables continuous and multiple chemical events to be conducted upon the trapped structures, but the excellent fluid handling ensures a precise chemical activation of the amino acid-supported framework in a position controlled by interface and clamp location that leads to a site-specific growth of Ag(I)TCNQ nanowire bundles. The synthesis is conducted stepwise starting with Ag(I)Cys CPs, going through silver metal, and back to a functional CP (Ag(I)TCNQ); that is, a novel microfluidic controlled ligand exchange (CP → NP → CP) is presented. Additionally, the pneumatic clamps can be employed further to integrate the conductive Ag(I)TCNQ nanowire bundles onto electrode arrays located on a surface, hence facilitating the construction of the final functional interfaced systems from solution specifically with no need for postassembly manipulation. This localized self-supported growth of functional matter from an amino acid-based CP shows how sequential localized chemistry in a fluid cell can be used to integrate molecular systems onto device platforms using a chip incorporating microengineered pneumatic tools. The control of clamp pressure and in parallel the variation of relative flow rates of source solutions permit deposition of materials at different locations on a chip that could be useful for device array preparation. The in situ reaction and washing procedures make this approach a powerful one for the fabrication of multicomponent complex nanomaterials using a soft bottom-up approach.

Reduction of Thermal Conductivity in Nanowires by Combined Engineering of Crystal Phase and Isotope Disorder.

PubMed

Mukherjee, S; Givan, U; Senz, S; de la Mata, M; Arbiol, J; Moutanabbir, O

2018-05-09

Nanowires are a versatile platform to investigate and harness phonon and thermal transport phenomena in nanoscale systems. With this perspective, we demonstrate herein the use of crystal phase and mass disorder as effective degrees of freedom to manipulate the behavior of phonons and control the flow of local heat in silicon nanowires. The investigated nanowires consist of isotopically pure and isotopically mixed nanowires bearing either a pure diamond cubic or a cubic-rhombohedral polytypic crystal phase. The nanowires with tailor-made isotopic compositions were grown using isotopically enriched silane precursors 28 SiH 4 , 29 SiH 4 , and 30 SiH 4 with purities better than 99.9%. The analysis of polytypic nanowires revealed ordered and modulated inclusions of lamellar rhombohedral silicon phases toward the center in otherwise diamond-cubic lattice with negligible interphase biaxial strain. Raman nanothermometry was employed to investigate the rate at which the local temperature of single suspended nanowires evolves in response to locally generated heat. Our analysis shows that the lattice thermal conductivity in nanowires can be tuned over a broad range by combining the effects of isotope disorder and the nature and degree of polytypism on phonon scattering. We found that the thermal conductivity can be reduced by up to ∼40% relative to that of isotopically pure nanowires, with the lowest value being recorded for the rhombohedral phase in isotopically mixed 28 Si x 30 Si 1- x nanowires with composition close to the highest mass disorder ( x ∼ 0.5). These results shed new light on the fundamentals of nanoscale thermal transport and lay the groundwork to design innovative phononic devices.

Zn-dopant dependent defect evolution in GaN nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Bing; Liu, Baodan; Wang, Yujia; Zhuang, Hao; Liu, Qingyun; Yuan, Fang; Jiang, Xin

2015-10-01

Zn doped GaN nanowires with different doping levels (0, <1 at%, and 3-5 at%) have been synthesized through a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. The effect of Zn doping on the defect evolution, including stacking fault, dislocation, twin boundary and phase boundary, has been systematically investigated by transmission electron microscopy and first-principles calculations. Undoped GaN nanowires show a hexagonal wurtzite (WZ) structure with good crystallinity. Several kinds of twin boundaries, including (101&cmb.macr;3), (101&cmb.macr;1) and (202&cmb.macr;1), as well as Type I stacking faults (...ABABC&cmb.b.line;BCB...), are observed in the nanowires. The increasing Zn doping level (<1 at%) induces the formation of screw dislocations featuring a predominant screw component along the radial direction of the GaN nanowires. At high Zn doping level (3-5 at%), meta-stable cubic zinc blende (ZB) domains are generated in the WZ GaN nanowires. The WZ/ZB phase boundary (...ABABAC&cmb.b.line;BA...) can be identified as Type II stacking faults. The density of stacking faults (both Type I and Type II) increases with increasing the Zn doping levels, which in turn leads to a rough-surface morphology in the GaN nanowires. First-principles calculations reveal that Zn doping will reduce the formation energy of both Type I and Type II stacking faults, favoring their nucleation in GaN nanowires. An understanding of the effect of Zn doping on the defect evolution provides an important method to control the microstructure and the electrical properties of p-type GaN nanowires.Zn doped GaN nanowires with different doping levels (0, <1 at%, and 3-5 at%) have been synthesized through a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. The effect of Zn doping on the defect evolution, including stacking fault, dislocation, twin boundary and phase boundary, has been systematically investigated by transmission electron microscopy and first-principles calculations. Undoped GaN nanowires show a hexagonal wurtzite (WZ) structure with good crystallinity. Several kinds of twin boundaries, including (101&cmb.macr;3), (101&cmb.macr;1) and (202&cmb.macr;1), as well as Type I stacking faults (...ABABC&cmb.b.line;BCB...), are observed in the nanowires. The increasing Zn doping level (<1 at%) induces the formation of screw dislocations featuring a predominant screw component along the radial direction of the GaN nanowires. At high Zn doping level (3-5 at%), meta-stable cubic zinc blende (ZB) domains are generated in the WZ GaN nanowires. The WZ/ZB phase boundary (...ABABAC&cmb.b.line;BA...) can be identified as Type II stacking faults. The density of stacking faults (both Type I and Type II) increases with increasing the Zn doping levels, which in turn leads to a rough-surface morphology in the GaN nanowires. First-principles calculations reveal that Zn doping will reduce the formation energy of both Type I and Type II stacking faults, favoring their nucleation in GaN nanowires. An understanding of the effect of Zn doping on the defect evolution provides an important method to control the microstructure and the electrical properties of p-type GaN nanowires. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: HRTEM image of undoped GaN nanowires and first-principles calculations of Zn doped WZ-GaN. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr04771d

Self catalytic growth of indium oxide (In2O3) nanowires by resistive thermal evaporation.

PubMed

Kumar, R Rakesh; Rao, K Narasimha; Rajanna, K; Phani, A R

2014-07-01

Self catalytic growth of Indium Oxide (In2O3) nanowires (NWs) have been grown by resistive thermal evaporation of Indium (In) in the presence of oxygen without use of any additional metal catalyst. Nanowires growth took place at low substrate temperature of 370-420 degrees C at an applied current of 180-200 A to the evaporation boat. Morphology, microstructures, and compositional studies of the grown nanowires were performed by employing field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-Ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) respectively. Nanowires were uniformly grown over the entire Si substrate and each of the nanowire is capped with a catalyst particle at their end. X-ray diffraction study reveals the crystalline nature of the grown nanowires. Transmission electron microscopy study on the nanowires further confirmed the single crystalline nature of the nanowires. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis on the nanowires and capped nanoparticle confirmed that Indium act as catalyst for In2O3 nanowires growth. A self catalytic Vapor-Liquid-Solid (VLS) growth mechanism was responsible for the growth of In2O3 nanowires. Effect of oxygen partial pressure variation and variation of applied currents to the evaporation boat on the nanowires growth was systematically studied. These studies concluded that at oxygen partial pressure in the range of 4 x 10(-4), 6 x 10(-4) mbar at applied currents to the evaporation boat of 180-200 A were the best conditions for good nanowires growth. Finally, we observed another mode of VLS growth along with the standard VLS growth mode for In2O3 nanowires similar to the growth mechanism reported for GaAs nanowires.

Growth of Gallium Nitride Nanowires: A Study Using In Situ Transmission Electron Microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diaz Rivas, Rosa Estela

Owing to their special characteristics, group III-Nitride semiconductors have attracted special attention for their application in a wide range of optoelectronic devices. Of particular interest are their direct and wide band gaps that span from ultraviolet to the infrared wavelengths. In addition, their stronger bonds relative to the other compound semiconductors makes them thermally more stable, which provides devices with longer life time. However, the lattice mismatch between these semiconductors and their substrates cause the as-grown films to have high dislocation densities, reducing the life time of devices that contain these materials. One possible solution for this problem is to substitute single crystal semiconductor nanowires for epitaxial films. Due to their dimensionality, semiconductor nanowires typically have stress-free surfaces and better physical properties. In order to employ semiconductor nanowires as building blocks for nanoscale devices, a precise control of the nanowires' crystallinity, morphology, and chemistry is necessary. This control can be achieved by first developing a deeper understanding of the processes involved in the synthesis of nanowires, and then by determining the effects of temperature and pressure on their growth. This dissertation focuses on understanding of the growth processes involved in the formation of GaN nanowires. Nucleation and growth events were observed in situ and controlled in real-time using an environmental transmission electron microscope. These observations provide a satisfactory elucidation of the underlying growth mechanism during the formation of GaN nanowires. Nucleation of these nanowires appears to follow the vapor-liquid-solid mechanism. However, nanowire growth is found to follow both the vapor-liquid-solid and vapor-solid-solid mechanisms. Direct evidence of the effects of III/V ratio on nanowire growth is also reported, which provides important information for tailoring the synthesis of GaN nanowires. These findings suggest in situ electron microscopy is a powerful tool to understand the growth of GaN nanowires and also that these experimental approach can be extended to study other binary semiconductor compound such as GaP, GaAs, and InP, or even ternary compounds such as InGaN. However, further experimental work is required to fully elucidate the kinetic effects on the growth process. A better control of the growth parameters is also recommended.

Piezoelectric properties of zinc oxide nanowires: an ab initio study.

PubMed

Korir, K K; Cicero, G; Catellani, A

2013-11-29

Nanowires made of materials with non-centrosymmetric crystal structures are expected to be ideal building blocks for self-powered nanodevices due to their piezoelectric properties, yet a controversial explanation of the effective operational mechanisms and size effects still delays their real exploitation. To solve this controversy, we propose a methodology based on DFT calculations of the response of nanostructures to external deformations that allows us to distinguish between the different (bulk and surface) contributions: we apply this scheme to evaluate the piezoelectric properties of ZnO [0001] nanowires, with a diameter up to 2.3 nm. Our results reveal that, while surface and confinement effects are negligible, effective strain energies, and thus the nanowire mechanical response, are dependent on size. Our unified approach allows for a proper definition of piezoelectric coefficients for nanostructures, and explains in a rigorous way the reason why nanowires are found to be more sensitive to mechanical deformation than the corresponding bulk material.

Giant piezoelectric size effects in zinc oxide and gallium nitride nanowires. A first principles investigation.

PubMed

Agrawal, Ravi; Espinosa, Horacio D

2011-02-09

Nanowires made of materials with noncentrosymmetric crystal structure are under investigation for their piezoelectric properties and suitability as building blocks for next-generation self-powered nanodevices. In this work, we investigate the size dependence of piezoelectric coefficients in nanowires of two such materials - zinc oxide and gallium nitride. Nanowires, oriented along their polar axis, ranging from 0.6 to 2.4 nm in diameter were modeled quantum mechanically. A giant piezoelectric size effect is identified for both GaN and ZnO nanowires. However, GaN exhibits a larger and more extended size dependence than ZnO. The observed size effect is discussed in the context of charge redistribution near the free surfaces leading to changes in local polarization. The study reveals that local changes in polarization and reduction of unit cell volume with respect to bulk values lead to the observed size effect. These results have strong implication in the field of energy harvesting, as piezoelectric voltage output scales with the piezoelectric coefficient.

Fabricating photoswitches and field-effect transistors from self-assembled tetra(2-isopropyl-5-methyphenoxy) copper phthalocyanines nanowires.

PubMed

Cheng, Chuanwei; Gao, Junshan; Xu, Guoyue; Zhang, Haiqian; Li, Yingying; Luo, Yan

2009-05-01

Tetra(2-isopropyl-5-methyphenoxy) copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) nanowires synthesized by a facile, low temperature self-assembled route, were incorporated into nano-devices: photoswitch and organic field-effect transistor. The devices were capable of switching on/off reversibly and fast by turning the 808 nm infrared light on/off. And the carrier mobility micro of CuPc nanowires incorporated in the devices was -0.02 cm2/V x s. The prelimenary results in this study show the potential application of metal phthalocyanine nanowires in low-cost fabrication of nano photo-electric devices.

Optical design of nanowire absorbers for wavelength selective photodetectors

PubMed Central

Mokkapati, S.; Saxena, D.; Tan, H. H.; Jagadish, C.

2015-01-01

We propose the optical design for the absorptive element of photodetectors to achieve wavelength selective photo response based on resonant guided modes supported in semiconductor nanowires. We show that the waveguiding properties of nanowires result in very high absorption efficiency that can be exploited to reduce the volume of active semiconductor compared to planar photodetectors, without compromising the photocurrent. We present a design based on a group of nanowires with varying diameter for multi-color photodetectors with small footprint. We discuss the effect of a dielectric shell around the nanowires on the absorption efficiency and present a simple approach to optimize the nanowire diameter-dielectric shell thickness for maximizing the absorption efficiency. PMID:26469227

Guided-mode resonance nanophotonics in materially sparse architectures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Magnusson, Robert; Niraula, Manoj; Yoon, Jae W.; Ko, Yeong H.; Lee, Kyu J.

2016-03-01

The guided-mode resonance (GMR) concept refers to lateral quasi-guided waveguide modes induced in periodic layers. Whereas these effects have been known for a long time, new attributes and innovations continue to appear. Here, we review some recent progress in this field with emphasis on sparse, or minimal, device embodiments. We discuss properties of wideband resonant reflectors designed with gratings in which the grating ridges are matched to an identical material to eliminate local reflections and phase changes. This critical interface therefore possesses zero refractive-index contrast; hence we call them "zero-contrast gratings." Applying this architecture, we present single-layer, wideband reflectors that are robust under experimentally realistic parametric variations. We introduce a new class of reflectors and polarizers fashioned with dielectric nanowire grids that are mostly empty space. Computed results predict high reflection and attendant polarization extinction for these sparse lattices. Experimental verification with Si nanowire grids yields ~200-nm-wide band of high reflection for one polarization state and free transmission of the orthogonal state. Finally, we present bandpass filters using all-dielectric resonant gratings. We design, fabricate, and test nanostructured single layer filters exhibiting high efficiency and sub-nanometer-wide passbands surrounded by 100-nm-wide stopbands.

Morphological Control of GaN and Its Effect within Electrochemical Heterojunctions

DOE PAGES

Parameshwaran, Vijay; Clemens, Bruce

2016-08-17

With morphological control through a solid source chemical vapor deposition process, GaN polycrystalline films, single-crystal nanowires, and mixed film/wires are grown on silicon to form a heterojunction that is a basis for III-V nitride device development. By contacting the GaN/Si structure to the CoCp 2 0/ + redox pair and performing impedance spectroscopy measurements, the band diagram of this junction is built for these three configurations. This serves as a basis for understanding the electrical nature of III-V nitride/Si interfaces that exist in several photonic device technologies, especially in context of using GaN nanomaterials grown on silicon for various applications.more » When these junctions are exposed to low-power UV illumination in contact with the Fc/Fc + redox pair, photocurrents of 18, 110, and 482 nA/cm 2 are generated for the nanowires, mixed film/wires, and films respectively. These currents, along with the electrostatics investigated through the impedance spectroscopy, show the trends of photoconversion with GaN morphology in this junction. Furthermore, they suggest that the mixed film/wires are a promising design for solar-based applications such as photovoltaics and water splitting electrodes.« less

Morphological Control of GaN and Its Effect within Electrochemical Heterojunctions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Parameshwaran, Vijay; Clemens, Bruce

With morphological control through a solid source chemical vapor deposition process, GaN polycrystalline films, single-crystal nanowires, and mixed film/wires are grown on silicon to form a heterojunction that is a basis for III-V nitride device development. By contacting the GaN/Si structure to the CoCp 2 0/ + redox pair and performing impedance spectroscopy measurements, the band diagram of this junction is built for these three configurations. This serves as a basis for understanding the electrical nature of III-V nitride/Si interfaces that exist in several photonic device technologies, especially in context of using GaN nanomaterials grown on silicon for various applications.more » When these junctions are exposed to low-power UV illumination in contact with the Fc/Fc + redox pair, photocurrents of 18, 110, and 482 nA/cm 2 are generated for the nanowires, mixed film/wires, and films respectively. These currents, along with the electrostatics investigated through the impedance spectroscopy, show the trends of photoconversion with GaN morphology in this junction. Furthermore, they suggest that the mixed film/wires are a promising design for solar-based applications such as photovoltaics and water splitting electrodes.« less

Controlled 1.1-1.6 μm luminescence in gold-free multi-stacked InAs/InP heterostructure nanowires.

PubMed

Zhang, Guoqiang; Tateno, Kouta; Birowosuto, Muhammad Danang; Notomi, Masaya; Sogawa, Tetsuomi; Gotoh, Hideki

2015-03-20

We report controlled 1.1-1.6 μm luminescence in gold-free multi-stacked InAs/InP heterostructure nanowires (NWs). We realized the NWs by using an indium-particle-assisted vapor-liquid-solid synthesis approach. The growth temperature, as low as 320 °C, enables the formation of an atomically abrupt InP/InAs interface by supressing the diffusion and weakening the reservoir effect in the indium droplet. The low growth temperature also enables us to grow multi-stacked InAs/InP NWs in the axial direction without any growth on the NW side face. The high controllability of the growth technology ensures that the luminescence can be tailored by the thickness of InAs segment in InP NWs and cover the 1.3-1.5 μm telecommunication window range. By using the nanoscale-spatial-resolution technology combing cathodoluminescence with scanning electron microscopy, we directly correlated the site of different-thickness InAs segments with its luminescence property in a single NW and demonstrate the InAs-thickness-controlled energy of optical emission in 1.1-1.6 μm.

Electrochemically synthesized amorphous and crystalline nanowires: dissimilar nanomechanical behavior in comparison with homologous flat films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeeshan, M. A.; Esqué-de Los Ojos, D.; Castro-Hartmann, P.; Guerrero, M.; Nogués, J.; Suriñach, S.; Baró, M. D.; Nelson, B. J.; Pané, S.; Pellicer, E.; Sort, J.

2016-01-01

The effects of constrained sample dimensions on the mechanical behavior of crystalline materials have been extensively investigated. However, there is no clear understanding of these effects in nano-sized amorphous samples. Herein, nanoindentation together with finite element simulations are used to compare the properties of crystalline and glassy CoNi(Re)P electrodeposited nanowires (φ ~ 100 nm) with films (3 μm thick) of analogous composition and structure. The results reveal that amorphous nanowires exhibit a larger hardness, lower Young's modulus and higher plasticity index than glassy films. Conversely, the very large hardness and higher Young's modulus of crystalline nanowires are accompanied by a decrease in plasticity with respect to the homologous crystalline films. Remarkably, proper interpretation of the mechanical properties of the nanowires requires taking the curved geometry of the indented surface and sink-in effects into account. These findings are of high relevance for optimizing the performance of new, mechanically-robust, nanoscale materials for increasingly complex miniaturized devices.The effects of constrained sample dimensions on the mechanical behavior of crystalline materials have been extensively investigated. However, there is no clear understanding of these effects in nano-sized amorphous samples. Herein, nanoindentation together with finite element simulations are used to compare the properties of crystalline and glassy CoNi(Re)P electrodeposited nanowires (φ ~ 100 nm) with films (3 μm thick) of analogous composition and structure. The results reveal that amorphous nanowires exhibit a larger hardness, lower Young's modulus and higher plasticity index than glassy films. Conversely, the very large hardness and higher Young's modulus of crystalline nanowires are accompanied by a decrease in plasticity with respect to the homologous crystalline films. Remarkably, proper interpretation of the mechanical properties of the nanowires requires taking the curved geometry of the indented surface and sink-in effects into account. These findings are of high relevance for optimizing the performance of new, mechanically-robust, nanoscale materials for increasingly complex miniaturized devices. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Additional details on experimental and analysis methods, additional results on crystalline CoNi(Re)P alloys and two movies to illustrate the stress distribution during deformation of the amorphous and crystalline nanowires. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr04398k

The effect of crystal structure on the electromechanical properties of piezoelectric Nylon-11 nanowires.

PubMed

Choi, Yeon Sik; Kim, Sung Kyun; Williams, Findlay; Calahorra, Yonatan; Elliott, James A; Kar-Narayan, Sohini

2018-06-19

Crystal structure is crucial in determining the properties of piezoelectric polymers, particularly at the nanoscale where precise control of the crystalline phase is possible. Here, we investigate the electromechanical properties of three distinct crystalline phases of Nylon-11 nanowires using advanced scanning probe microscopy techniques. Stiff α-phase nanowires exhibited a low piezoelectric response, while relatively soft δ'-phase nanowires displayed an enhanced piezoelectric response.

Magnetic hysteresis in small-grained CoxPd1-x nanowire arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viqueira, M. S.; Pozo-López, G.; Urreta, S. E.; Condó, A. M.; Cornejo, D. R.; Fabietti, L. M.

2015-11-01

Co-Pd nanowires with small grain size are fabricated by AC electrodeposition into hexagonally ordered alumina pores, 20-35 nm in diameter and about 1 μm long. The effects of the alloy composition, the nanowire diameter and the grain size on the hysteresis properties are considered. X-ray diffraction indicates that the nanowires are single phase, a fcc Co-Pd solid solution; electron microscopy results show that they are polycrystalline, with randomly oriented grains (7-12 nm), smaller than the wire diameter. Nanowire arrays are ferromagnetic, with an easy magnetization axis parallel to the nanowire long axis. Both, the coercive field and the loop squareness monotonously increase with the Co content and with the grain size, but no clear correlation with the wire diameter is found. The Co and Co-rich nanowire arrays exhibit coercive fields and reduced remanence values quite insensitive to temperature in the range 4 K-300 K; on the contrary, in Pd-rich nanowires both magnitudes are smaller and they largely increase during cooling below 100 K. These behaviors are systematized by considering the strong dependences displayed by the magneto-crystalline anisotropy and the saturation magnetostriction on composition and temperature. At low temperatures the effective anisotropy value and the domain-wall width to grain size ratio drastically change, promoting less cooperative and harder nucleation modes.

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy for quantitative interface state characterization of planar and nanostructured semiconductor-dielectric interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, Andrew C.; Tang, Kechao; Braun, Michael R.; Zhang, Liangliang; McIntyre, Paul C.

2017-10-01

The performance of nanostructured semiconductors is frequently limited by interface defects that trap electronic carriers. In particular, high aspect ratio geometries dramatically increase the difficulty of using typical solid-state electrical measurements (multifrequency capacitance- and conductance-voltage testing) to quantify interface trap densities (D it). We report on electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) to characterize the energy distribution of interface traps at metal oxide/semiconductor interfaces. This method takes advantage of liquid electrolytes, which provide conformal electrical contacts. Planar Al2O3/p-Si and Al2O3/p-Si0.55Ge0.45 interfaces are used to benchmark the EIS data against results obtained from standard electrical testing methods. We find that the solid state and EIS data agree very well, leading to the extraction of consistent D it energy distributions. Measurements carried out on pyramid-nanostructured p-Si obtained by KOH etching followed by deposition of a 10 nm ALD-Al2O3 demonstrate the application of EIS to trap characterization of a nanostructured dielectric/semiconductor interface. These results show the promise of this methodology to measure interface state densities for a broad range of semiconductor nanostructures such as nanowires, nanofins, and porous structures.

Germanium Nanowires-in-Graphite Tubes via Self-Catalyzed Synergetic Confined Growth and Shell-Splitting Enhanced Li-Storage Performance.

PubMed

Sun, Yong; Jin, Shuaixing; Yang, Guowei; Wang, Jing; Wang, Chengxin

2015-04-28

Despite the high theoretical capacity, pure Ge has various difficulties such as significant volume expansion and electron and Li(+) transfer problems, when applied as anode materials in lithium ion battery (LIB), for which the solution would finally rely on rational design like advanced structures and available hybrid. Here in this work, we report a one-step synthesis of Ge nanowires-in-graphite tubes (GNIGTs) with the liquid Ge/C synergetic confined growth method. The structure exhibits impressing LIB behavior in terms of both cyclic stability and rate performance. We found the semiclosed graphite shell with thickness of ∼50 layers experience an interesting splitting process that was driven by electrolyte diffusion, which occurs before the Ge-Li alloying plateau begins. Two types of different splitting mechanism addressed as "inside-out"/zipper effect and "outside-in" dominate this process, which are resulted from the SEI layer growing longitudinally along the Ge-graphite interface and the lateral diffusion of Li(+) across the shell, respectively. The former mechanism is the predominant way driving the initial shell to split, which behaves like a zipper with SEI layer as invisible puller. After repeated Li(+) insertion/exaction, the GNIGTs configuration is finally reconstructed by forming Ge nanowires-thin graphite strip hybrid, both of which are in close contact, resulting in enormous enchantment to the electrons/Li(+) transport. These features make the structures perform well as anode material in LIB. We believe both the progress in 1D assembly and the structure evolution of this Ge-C composite would contribute to the design of advanced LIB anode materials.

Hole-dominated transport in InSb nanowires grown on high-quality InSb films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Algarni, Zaina; George, David; Singh, Abhay; Lin, Yuankun; Philipose, U.

2016-12-01

We have developed an effective strategy for synthesizing p-type indium antimonide (InSb) nanowires on a thin film of InSb grown on glass substrate. The InSb films were grown by a chemical reaction between S b 2 S 3 and I n and were characterized by structural, compositional, and optical studies. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) studies reveal that the surface of the substrate is covered with a polycrystalline InSb film comprised of sub-micron sized InSb islands. Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) results show that the film is stoichiometric InSb. The optical constants of the InSb film, characterized using a variable-angle spectroscopic ellipsometer (VASE) shows a maximum value for refractive index at 3.7 near 1.8 eV, and the extinction coefficient (k) shows a maximum value 3.3 near 4.1 eV. InSb nanowires were subsequently grown on the InSb film with 20 nm sized Au nanoparticles functioning as the metal catalyst initiating nanowire growth. The InSb nanowires with diameters in the range of 40-60 nm exhibit good crystallinity and were found to be rich in Sb. High concentrations of anions in binary semiconductors are known to introduce acceptor levels within the band gap. This un-intentional doping of the InSb nanowire resulting in hole-dominated transport in the nanowires is demonstrated by the fabrication of a p-channel nanowire field effect transistor. The hole concentration and field effect mobility are estimated to be ≈1.3 × 1017 cm-3 and 1000 cm2 V-1 s-1, respectively, at room temperature, values that are particularly attractive for the technological implications of utilizing p-InSb nanowires in CMOS electronics.

Photovoltaic Performance of a Nanowire/Quantum Dot Hybrid Nanostructure Array Solar Cell.

PubMed

Wu, Yao; Yan, Xin; Zhang, Xia; Ren, Xiaomin

2018-02-23

An innovative solar cell based on a nanowire/quantum dot hybrid nanostructure array is designed and analyzed. By growing multilayer InAs quantum dots on the sidewalls of GaAs nanowires, not only the absorption spectrum of GaAs nanowires is extended by quantum dots but also the light absorption of quantum dots is dramatically enhanced due to the light-trapping effect of the nanowire array. By incorporating five layers of InAs quantum dots into a 500-nm high-GaAs nanowire array, the power conversion efficiency enhancement induced by the quantum dots is six times higher than the power conversion efficiency enhancement in thin-film solar cells which contain the same amount of quantum dots, indicating that the nanowire array structure can benefit the photovoltaic performance of quantum dot solar cells.

Effect of size distribution on magnetic properties in cobalt nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Huanhuan; Wu, Qiong; Yue, Ming; Li, Chenglin; Li, Hongjian; Palaka, Subhashini

2018-05-01

Cobalt nanowires were synthesized by reduction of carboxylate salts of Co in 1, 2-butanediol using a solvothermal chemical process. These nanowires crystallize with the hcp structure and the growth axis is parallel to the crystallographic c-axis. The morphology of the nanowires that prepared with mechanical stirring during earlier stage of the reaction process exhibits a smaller averaged aspect ratio but narrow size distribution. The assembly of the nanowires that prepared with mechanical stirring shows almost same coercivity and remanent magnetization but 59% increase of magnetic energy product. This remarkable improvement of energy product has been further understood by micromagnetic simulations. The magnetic performance at variant temperatures of Co nanowires has also been presented. These ferromagnetic nanowires could be new ideal building blocks for permanent magnets with high performance and high thermal stability.

Photovoltaic Performance of a Nanowire/Quantum Dot Hybrid Nanostructure Array Solar Cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Yao; Yan, Xin; Zhang, Xia; Ren, Xiaomin

2018-02-01

An innovative solar cell based on a nanowire/quantum dot hybrid nanostructure array is designed and analyzed. By growing multilayer InAs quantum dots on the sidewalls of GaAs nanowires, not only the absorption spectrum of GaAs nanowires is extended by quantum dots but also the light absorption of quantum dots is dramatically enhanced due to the light-trapping effect of the nanowire array. By incorporating five layers of InAs quantum dots into a 500-nm high-GaAs nanowire array, the power conversion efficiency enhancement induced by the quantum dots is six times higher than the power conversion efficiency enhancement in thin-film solar cells which contain the same amount of quantum dots, indicating that the nanowire array structure can benefit the photovoltaic performance of quantum dot solar cells.

Toward optimized light utilization in nanowire arrays using scalable nanosphere lithography and selected area growth.

PubMed

Madaria, Anuj R; Yao, Maoqing; Chi, Chunyung; Huang, Ningfeng; Lin, Chenxi; Li, Ruijuan; Povinelli, Michelle L; Dapkus, P Daniel; Zhou, Chongwu

2012-06-13

Vertically aligned, catalyst-free semiconducting nanowires hold great potential for photovoltaic applications, in which achieving scalable synthesis and optimized optical absorption simultaneously is critical. Here, we report combining nanosphere lithography (NSL) and selected area metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (SA-MOCVD) for the first time for scalable synthesis of vertically aligned gallium arsenide nanowire arrays, and surprisingly, we show that such nanowire arrays with patterning defects due to NSL can be as good as highly ordered nanowire arrays in terms of optical absorption and reflection. Wafer-scale patterning for nanowire synthesis was done using a polystyrene nanosphere template as a mask. Nanowires grown from substrates patterned by NSL show similar structural features to those patterned using electron beam lithography (EBL). Reflection of photons from the NSL-patterned nanowire array was used as a measure of the effect of defects present in the structure. Experimentally, we show that GaAs nanowires as short as 130 nm show reflection of <10% over the visible range of the solar spectrum. Our results indicate that a highly ordered nanowire structure is not necessary: despite the "defects" present in NSL-patterned nanowire arrays, their optical performance is similar to "defect-free" structures patterned by more costly, time-consuming EBL methods. Our scalable approach for synthesis of vertical semiconducting nanowires can have application in high-throughput and low-cost optoelectronic devices, including solar cells.

Core-shell homojunction silicon vertical nanowire tunneling field-effect transistors.

PubMed

Yoon, Jun-Sik; Kim, Kihyun; Baek, Chang-Ki

2017-01-23

We propose three-terminal core-shell (CS) silicon vertical nanowire tunneling field-effect transistors (TFETs), which can be fabricated by conventional CMOS technology. CS TFETs show lower subthreshold swing (SS) and higher on-state current than conventional TFETs through their high surface-to-volume ratio, which increases carrier-tunneling region with no additional device area. The on-state current can be enhanced by increasing the nanowire height, decreasing equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) or creating a nanowire array. The off-state current is also manageable for power saving through selective epitaxial growth at the top-side nanowire region. CS TFETs with an EOT of 0.8 nm and an aspect ratio of 20 for the core nanowire region provide the largest drain current ranges with point SS values below 60 mV/dec and superior on/off current ratio under all operation voltages of 0.5, 0.7, and 1.0 V. These devices are promising for low-power applications at low fabrication cost and high device density.

Electrical detection of single viruses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patolsky, Fernando; Zheng, Gengfeng; Hayden, Oliver; Lakadamyali, Melike; Zhuang, Xiaowei; Lieber, Charles M.

2004-09-01

We report direct, real-time electrical detection of single virus particles with high selectivity by using nanowire field effect transistors. Measurements made with nanowire arrays modified with antibodies for influenza A showed discrete conductance changes characteristic of binding and unbinding in the presence of influenza A but not paramyxovirus or adenovirus. Simultaneous electrical and optical measurements using fluorescently labeled influenza A were used to demonstrate conclusively that the conductance changes correspond to binding/unbinding of single viruses at the surface of nanowire devices. pH-dependent studies further show that the detection mechanism is caused by a field effect, and that the nanowire devices can be used to determine rapidly isoelectric points and variations in receptor-virus binding kinetics for different conditions. Lastly, studies of nanowire devices modified with antibodies specific for either influenza or adenovirus show that multiple viruses can be selectively detected in parallel. The possibility of large-scale integration of these nanowire devices suggests potential for simultaneous detection of a large number of distinct viral threats at the single virus level.

A facile strategy to decorate Cu₉S₅ nanocrystals on polyaniline nanowires and their synergetic catalytic properties.

PubMed

Lu, Xiao-feng; Bian, Xiu-jie; Li, Zhi-cheng; Chao, Dan-ming; Wang, Ce

2013-10-16

Here, we demonstrated a novel method to decorate Cu₉S₅ nanocrystals on polyaniline (PANI) nanowires using the dopant of mercaptoacetic acid (MAA) in the PANI matrix as the sulfur source under a hydrothermal reaction. TEM images showed that Cu₉S₅ nanocrystals with a size in the range of 5-20 nm were uniformly formed on the surface of PANI nanowires. Significantly, the as-prepared PANI/Cu₉S₅ composite nanowires have been proven to be novel peroxidase mimics toward the oxidation of the peroxidase substrate 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) in the presence of H₂O₂. Due to the synergetic effects between polyaniline nanowires and Cu₉S₅ nanocrystals, the obtained PANI/Cu₉S₅ composite nanowires exhibit superior catalytic activity over the independent components. This work not only presents a simple and versatile method to decorate semiconductor nanocrystals on the surface of conducting polymer nanostructures, but also provides fundamental guidelines for further investigations into the synergetic effect between conducting polymers and other materials.

Optimization of yield in magnetic cell separations using nickel nanowires of different lengths.

PubMed

Hultgren, Anne; Tanase, Monica; Felton, Edward J; Bhadriraju, Kiran; Salem, Aliasger K; Chen, Christopher S; Reich, Daniel H

2005-01-01

Ferromagnetic nanowires are shown to perform both high yield and high purity single-step cell separations on cultures of NIH-3T3 mouse fibroblast cells. The nanowires are made by electrochemical deposition in nanoporous templates, permitting detailed control of their chemical and physical properties. When added to fibroblast cell cultures, the nanowires are internalized by the cells via the integrin-mediated adhesion pathway. The effectiveness of magnetic cell separations using Ni nanowires 350 nm in diameter and 5-35 micrometers long in field gradients of 40 T/m was compared to commercially available superparamagnetic beads. The percent yield of the separated populations is found to be optimized when the length of the nanowire is matched to the diameter of the cells in the culture. Magnetic cell separations performed under these conditions achieve 80% purity and 85% yield, a 4-fold increase over the beads. This effect is shown to be robust when the diameter of the cell is changed within the same cell line using mitomycin-C.

Current-driven dynamics of skyrmions stabilized in MnSi nanowires revealed by topological Hall effect

PubMed Central

Liang, Dong; DeGrave, John P.; Stolt, Matthew J.; Tokura, Yoshinori; Jin, Song

2015-01-01

Skyrmions hold promise for next-generation magnetic storage as their nanoscale dimensions may enable high information storage density and their low threshold for current-driven motion may enable ultra-low energy consumption. Skyrmion-hosting nanowires not only serve as a natural platform for magnetic racetrack memory devices but also stabilize skyrmions. Here we use the topological Hall effect (THE) to study phase stability and current-driven dynamics of skyrmions in MnSi nanowires. THE is observed in an extended magnetic field-temperature window (15–30 K), suggesting stabilization of skyrmions in nanowires compared with the bulk. Furthermore, we show in nanowires that under the high current density of 108–109 A m−2, the THE decreases with increasing current densities, which demonstrates the current-driven motion of skyrmions generating the emergent electric field in the extended skyrmion phase region. These results open up the exploration of skyrmions in nanowires for fundamental physics and magnetic storage technologies. PMID:26400204

A Semimetal Nanowire Rectifier: Balancing Quantum Confinement and Surface Electronegativity.

PubMed

Sanchez-Soares, Alfonso; Greer, James C

2016-12-14

For semimetal nanowires with diameters on the order of 10 nm, a semimetal-to-semiconductor transition is observed due to quantum confinement effects. Quantum confinement in a semimetal lifts the degeneracy of the conduction and valence bands in a "zero" gap semimetal or shifts energy levels with a "negative" overlap to form conduction and valence bands. For semimetal nanowires with diameters less than 10 nm, the band gap energy can be significantly larger than the thermal energy at room temperature resulting in a new class of semiconductors suitable for nanoelectronics. As a nanowire's diameter is reduced, its surface-to-volume ratio increases rapidly leading to an increased impact of surface chemistry on its electronic structure. Energy level shifts to states in the vicinity of the Fermi energy with varying surface electronegativity are shown to be comparable in magnitude to quantum confinement effects arising in nanowires with diameters of a few nanometer; these two effects can counteract one another leading to semimetallic behavior at nanowire cross sections at which confinement effects would otherwise dominate. Abruptly changing the surface terminating species along the length of a nanowire can lead to an abrupt change in the surface electronegativity. This can result in the formation of a semimetal-semiconductor junction within a monomaterial nanowire without impurity doping nor requiring the formation of a heterojunction. Using density functional theory in tandem with a Green's function approach to determine electronic structure and charge transport, respectively, current rectification is calculated for such a junction. Current rectification ratios of the order of 10 3 -10 5 are predicted at applied biases as low as 300 mV. It is concluded that rectification can be achieved at essentially molecular length scales with conventional biasing, while rivaling the performance of macroscopic semiconductor diodes.

Fabrication and Characterization of Gecko-inspired Fibrillar Adhesive

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Yongkwan

Over the last decade, geckos' remarkable ability to stick to and climb surfaces found in nature has motivated a wide range of scientific interest in engineering gecko-mimetic surface for various adhesive and high friction applications. The high adhesion and friction of its pads have been attributed to a complex array of hairy structures, which maximize surface area for van der Waals interaction between the toes and the counter-surface. While advances in micro- and nanolithography technique have allowed fabrication of increasingly sophisticated gecko mimetic surfaces, it remains a challenge to produce an adhesive as robust as that of the natural gecko pads. In order to rationally design gecko adhesives, understanding the contact behavior of fibrillar interface is critical. The first chapter of the dissertation introduces gecko adhesion and its potential applications, followed by a brief survey of gecko-inspired adhesives. Challenges that limit the performance of the current adhesives are presented. In particular, it is pointed out that almost all testing of gecko adhesives have been on clean, smooth glass, which is ideal for adhesion due to high surface energy and low roughness. Surfaces in application are more difficult to stick to, so the understanding of failure modes in low energy and rough surfaces is important. The second chapter presents a fabrication method for thermoplastic gecko adhesive to be used for a detailed study of fibrillar interfaces. Low-density polyethylene nanofibers are replicated from a silicon nanowire array fabricated by colloidal lithography and metal-catalyzed chemical etching. This process yields a highly ordered array of nanofibers over a large area with control over fiber diameter, length, and number density. The high yield and consistency of the process make it ideal for a systematic study on factors that affect adhesion and friction of gecko adhesives. The following three chapters examine parameters that affect macroscale friction of fibrillar adhesives. Basic geometric factors, namely fiber length and diameter, are optimized on smooth glass for high friction. The test surfaces are then processed to intentionally introduce roughness or lower the surface energy in a systematic and quantifiable manner, so that the failure mechanisms of the adhesive can be investigated in detail. In these studies, observed macroscale friction is related to the nano-scale contact behavior with simple mechanical models to establish criteria to ensure high performance of fibrillar adhesives. Chapter 6 presents various methods to produce more complex fiber structures. The metal-assisted chemical etching of silicon nanowires is studied in detail, where the chemical composition of the etching bath can be varied to produce clumped, tapered, tilted, and curved nanowires, which provide interesting templates for molding and are potentially useful for applications in various silicon nanowire devices. Hierarchical fiber structures are fabricated by a few different methods, as well as composite structures where the fibers are embedded in another material. A way to precisely control tapering of microfibers is demonstrated, and the effect of tapering on macroscale friction is studied in detail. The final chapter summarizes the dissertation and suggests possible future works for both further investigating fibrillar interfaces and improving the current gecko adhesive.

Programmable Nano-Bio Interfaces for Functional Biointegrated Devices.

PubMed

Cai, Pingqiang; Leow, Wan Ru; Wang, Xiaoyuan; Wu, Yun-Long; Chen, Xiaodong

2017-07-01

A large amount of evidence has demonstrated the revolutionary role of nanosystems in the screening and shielding of biological systems. The explosive development of interfacing bioentities with programmable nanomaterials has conveyed the intriguing concept of nano-bio interfaces. Here, recent advances in functional biointegrated devices through the precise programming of nano-bio interactions are outlined, especially with regard to the rational assembly of constituent nanomaterials on multiple dimension scales (e.g., nanoparticles, nanowires, layered nanomaterials, and 3D-architectured nanomaterials), in order to leverage their respective intrinsic merits for different functions. Emerging nanotechnological strategies at nano-bio interfaces are also highlighted, such as multimodal diagnosis or "theragnostics", synergistic and sequential therapeutics delivery, and stretchable and flexible nanoelectronic devices, and their implementation into a broad range of biointegrated devices (e.g., implantable, minimally invasive, and wearable devices). When utilized as functional modules of biointegrated devices, these programmable nano-bio interfaces will open up a new chapter for precision nanomedicine. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Fabrication and surface enhanced Raman scattering effect of centimeter level AgCuAu composite nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Dapeng; Zhang, Song; Yang, Wei; Chen, Jian

2017-10-01

Centimeter level AgCuAu composite nanowires were prepared by a solid-state ionics method under a direct current electric field (DCEF) using fast ionic conductor RbAg4I5 films and vacuum thermal evaporation method. The surface morphology and chemical composition of the AuAgCu composite nanowires were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), respectively. Raman enhancement performance of the AgCuAu composite nanowires substrates was detected by Rhodamine 6G (R6G) aqueous solutions as probe molecules. Long-range order and short-range order AgCuAu composite nanowires with the length of 1 cm were prepared. The nanowires were bamboo-shaped with high surface roughness and the diameters of nanowires ranged from 60 to 100 nm. The molar ratio of Ag:Cu:Au in composite nanowires is 15:2:1. The intrinsic Raman peaks of 10-16 mol/L R6G at 612, 773, 1125, 1182, 1307, 1361, 1418, 1506, 1545, 1575, 1597, 1650 cm-1 are all present when AgCuAu composite nanowires were used as the SERS substrates.

Effects of polymer surface energy on morphology and properties of silver nanowire fabricated via nanoimprint and E-beam evaporation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Zhi-Jun; Hwang, Soon Hyoung; Jeon, Sohee; Jung, Joo-Yun; Lee, Jihye; Choi, Dae-Geun; Choi, Jun-Hyuk; Park, Sang-Hu; Jeong, Jun-Ho

2017-10-01

In this paper, we demonstrate that use of different nanoimprint resins as a polymer pattern has a significant effect on the morphology of silver (Ag) nanowires deposited via an E-beam evaporator. RM-311 and Ormo-stamp resins are chosen as a polymer pattern to form a line with dimensions of width (100 nm) × space (100 nm) × height (120 nm) by using nanoimprint lithography (NIL). Their contact angles are then measured to evaluate their surface energies. In order to compare the properties of the Ag nanowires deposited on the various polymer patterns with different surface energies, hydrophobic surface treatment of the polymer pattern surface is implemented using self-assembled monolayers. In addition, gold and aluminum nanowires are fabricated for comparison with the Ag nanowires, with the differences in the nanowire morphologies being determined by the different atomic properties. The monocrystalline and polycrystalline structures of the various Ag nanowire formations are observed using transmission electron microscopy. In addition, the melting temperatures and optical properties of four kinds of Ag nanowire morphologies deposited on various polymer patterns are evaluated using a hot plate and an ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectrometer, respectively. The results indicate that the morphology of the Ag nanowire determines the melting temperature and the transmission. We believe that these findings will greatly aid the development of NIL, along with physical evaporation and chemical deposition techniques, and will be widely employed in optics, biology, and surface wettability applications.

Zn-dopant dependent defect evolution in GaN nanowires.

PubMed

Yang, Bing; Liu, Baodan; Wang, Yujia; Zhuang, Hao; Liu, Qingyun; Yuan, Fang; Jiang, Xin

2015-10-21

Zn doped GaN nanowires with different doping levels (0, <1 at%, and 3-5 at%) have been synthesized through a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. The effect of Zn doping on the defect evolution, including stacking fault, dislocation, twin boundary and phase boundary, has been systematically investigated by transmission electron microscopy and first-principles calculations. Undoped GaN nanowires show a hexagonal wurtzite (WZ) structure with good crystallinity. Several kinds of twin boundaries, including (101¯3), (101¯1) and (202¯1), as well as Type I stacking faults (…ABABCBCB…), are observed in the nanowires. The increasing Zn doping level (<1 at%) induces the formation of screw dislocations featuring a predominant screw component along the radial direction of the GaN nanowires. At high Zn doping level (3-5 at%), meta-stable cubic zinc blende (ZB) domains are generated in the WZ GaN nanowires. The WZ/ZB phase boundary (…ABABACBA…) can be identified as Type II stacking faults. The density of stacking faults (both Type I and Type II) increases with increasing the Zn doping levels, which in turn leads to a rough-surface morphology in the GaN nanowires. First-principles calculations reveal that Zn doping will reduce the formation energy of both Type I and Type II stacking faults, favoring their nucleation in GaN nanowires. An understanding of the effect of Zn doping on the defect evolution provides an important method to control the microstructure and the electrical properties of p-type GaN nanowires.

Numerical analysis of band tails in nanowires and their effects on the performance of tunneling field-effect transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanaka, Takahisa; Uchida, Ken

2018-06-01

Band tails in heavily doped semiconductors are one of the important parameters that determine transfer characteristics of tunneling field-effect transistors. In this study, doping concentration and doing profile dependences of band tails in heavily doped Si nanowires were analyzed by a nonequilibrium Green function method. From the calculated band tails, transfer characteristics of nanowire tunnel field-effect transistors were numerically analyzed by Wentzel–Kramer–Brillouin approximation with exponential barriers. The calculated transfer characteristics demonstrate that the band tails induced by dopants degrade the subthreshold slopes of Si nanowires from 5 to 56 mV/dec in the worst case. On the other hand, surface doping leads to a high drain current while maintaining a small subthreshold slope.

One-step large-scale synthesis of micrometer-sized silver nanosheets by a template-free electrochemical method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Sun Hwa; Son, Jin Gyeong; Lee, Tae Geol; Park, Hyun Min; Song, Jae Yong

2013-05-01

We have synthesized micrometer-sized Ag nanosheets via a facile, one-step, template-free electrochemical deposition in an ultra-dilute silver nitrate aqueous electrolyte. The nanosheet growth was revealed to occur in three stages: (1) formation of polygonal Ag nuclei on a substrate, (2) growth of {112}-faceted nanowire from the nuclei, and (3) anisotropic growth of (111)-planar nanosheets, approximately 20 to 50 nm in thickness and 10 μm in width, in the <112>-direction. The vertical growth of the facet nanowire was induced by the strong interface anisotropy between the deposit and electrolyte due to the ultra-dilute concentration of electrolyte and high reduction potential. The thickness of Ag nanosheets was controllable by the adjustment of the reduction/oxidation potential and frequency of the reverse-pulse potentiodynamic mode.

Flexible and Stretchable Optoelectronic Devices using Silver Nanowires and Graphene.

PubMed

Lee, Hanleem; Kim, Meeree; Kim, Ikjoon; Lee, Hyoyoung

2016-06-01

Many studies have accompanied the emergence of a great interest in flexible or/and stretchable devices for new applications in wearable and futuristic technology, including human-interface devices, robotic skin, and biometric devices, and in optoelectronic devices. Especially, new nanodimensional materials enable flexibility or stretchability to be brought based on their dimensionality. Here, the emerging field of flexible devices is briefly introduced using silver nanowires and graphene, which are famous nanomaterials for the use of transparent conductive electrodes, as examples, and their unique functions originating from the intrinsic property of these nanomaterials are highlighted. It is thought that this work will evoke more interest and idea exchanges in this emerging field and hopefully can trigger a breakthrough on a new type of optoelectronics and optogenetic devices in the near future. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Disproportionation for growing copper nanowires and their controlled self-assembly facilitated by ligand exchange.

PubMed

Ye, Enyi; Zhang, Shuang-Yuan; Liu, Shuhua; Han, Ming-Yong

2011-03-07

The coating makes the wire bundle: High-quality free-standing copper nanowires have been successfully produced by disproportionation of Cu(+) in oleylamine. This provides an effective way to prepare high-quality copper nanowires, but also enriches synthetic routes to other nanostructures. These copper nanowires can self-assemble by surface ligand exchange of oleylamine with trioctylphosphine. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Electrical breakdown and nanogap formation of indium oxide core/shell heterostructure nanowires.

PubMed

Jung, Minkyung; Song, Woon; Sung Lee, Joon; Kim, Nam; Kim, Jinhee; Park, Jeunghee; Lee, Hyoyoung; Hirakawa, Kazuhiko

2008-12-10

We report the electrical breakdown behavior and subsequent nanogap formation of In(2)O(3)/InO(x) core/shell heterostructure nanowires with substrate-supported and suspended structures. The radial heterostructure nanowires, composed of crystalline In(2)O(3) cores and amorphous In-rich shells, are grown by chemical vapor deposition. As the nanowires broke down, they exhibited two distinct current drops in the current-voltage characteristics. The tips of the broken nanowires were found to have a cone or a volcano shape depending on the width of the nanowire. The shape, the size, and the position of the nanogap depend strongly on the device structure and the nanowire dimensions. The substrate-supported and the suspended devices exhibit distinct breakdown behavior which can be explained by the diffusive thermal transport model. The breakdown temperature of the nanowire is estimated to be about 450 K, close to the melting temperature of indium. We demonstrated the usefulness of this technique by successful fabrication of working pentacene field-effect transistors.

A CMOS-Compatible Poly-Si Nanowire Device with Hybrid Sensor/Memory Characteristics for System-on-Chip Applications

PubMed Central

Chen, Min-Cheng; Chen, Hao-Yu; Lin, Chia-Yi; Chien, Chao-Hsin; Hsieh, Tsung-Fan; Horng, Jim-Tong; Qiu, Jian-Tai; Huang, Chien-Chao; Ho, Chia-Hua; Yang, Fu-Liang

2012-01-01

This paper reports a versatile nano-sensor technology using “top-down” poly-silicon nanowire field-effect transistors (FETs) in the conventional Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS)-compatible semiconductor process. The nanowire manufacturing technique reduced nanowire width scaling to 50 nm without use of extra lithography equipment, and exhibited superior device uniformity. These n type polysilicon nanowire FETs have positive pH sensitivity (100 mV/pH) and sensitive deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) detection ability (100 pM) at normal system operation voltages. Specially designed oxide-nitride-oxide buried oxide nanowire realizes an electrically Vth-adjustable sensor to compensate device variation. These nanowire FETs also enable non-volatile memory application for a large and steady Vth adjustment window (>2 V Programming/Erasing window). The CMOS-compatible manufacturing technique of polysilicon nanowire FETs offers a possible solution for commercial System-on-Chip biosensor application, which enables portable physiology monitoring and in situ recording. PMID:22666012

Nanowire surface fastener fabrication on flexible substrate.

PubMed

Toku, Yuhki; Uchida, Keita; Morita, Yasuyuki; Ju, Yang

2018-07-27

The market for wearable devices has increased considerably in recent years. In response to this demand, flexible electronic circuit technology has become more important. The conventional bonding technology in electronic assembly depends on high-temperature processes such as reflow soldering, which result in undesired thermal damages and residual stress at a bonding interface. In addition, it exhibits poor compatibility with bendable or stretchable device applications. Therefore, there is an urgent requirement to attach electronic parts on printed circuit boards with good mechanical and electrical properties at room temperature. Nanowire surface fasteners (NSFs) are candidates for resolving these problems. This paper describes the fabrication of an NSF on a flexible substrate, which can be used for room temperature conductive bonding. The template method is used for preparing high-density nanowire arrays. A Cu thin film is layered on the template as the flexible substrate. After etching the template, a Cu NSF is obtained on the Cu film substrate. In addition, the electrical and mechanical properties of the Cu NSF are studied under various fabrication conditions. The Cu NSF exhibits high shear adhesion strength (∼234 N cm -2 ) and low contact resistivity (2.2 × 10 -4 Ω cm 2 ).

Internal stresses and formation of switchable nanowires at thin silica film edges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phillips, J. C.

2011-02-01

At vertical edges, thin films of silicon oxide (SiO2-x) can contain defect-free semiconductive c-Si layered nanocrystals (Si NC) embedded in and supported by an insulating g-SiO2 matrix. Yaoet al. [Appl. Phys. A (in press)] have shown that a trenched thin film geometry enables the NC to form switchable nanowires (SNW) when trained by an applied field. The field required to form SNW decreases rapidly within a few cycles, or by annealing at 600 °C in even fewer cycles, and is stable to 700 °C. Here we describe the intrinsic evolution of Si NC and SNW in terms of the competition between internal stresses and electro-osmosis. The analysis relies heavily on experimental data from a wide range of thin film studies, and it explains why a vertical edge across the planar polySi-SiO2-x interface is necessary to form SNW. The discussion also shows that the formation mechanisms of Si NC and polySi/SiO2-x SNW are intrinsic and result from optimization of nanowire connectivity in the presence of residual host misfit stresses.

Nanowire surface fastener fabrication on flexible substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toku, Yuhki; Uchida, Keita; Morita, Yasuyuki; Ju, Yang

2018-07-01

The market for wearable devices has increased considerably in recent years. In response to this demand, flexible electronic circuit technology has become more important. The conventional bonding technology in electronic assembly depends on high-temperature processes such as reflow soldering, which result in undesired thermal damages and residual stress at a bonding interface. In addition, it exhibits poor compatibility with bendable or stretchable device applications. Therefore, there is an urgent requirement to attach electronic parts on printed circuit boards with good mechanical and electrical properties at room temperature. Nanowire surface fasteners (NSFs) are candidates for resolving these problems. This paper describes the fabrication of an NSF on a flexible substrate, which can be used for room temperature conductive bonding. The template method is used for preparing high-density nanowire arrays. A Cu thin film is layered on the template as the flexible substrate. After etching the template, a Cu NSF is obtained on the Cu film substrate. In addition, the electrical and mechanical properties of the Cu NSF are studied under various fabrication conditions. The Cu NSF exhibits high shear adhesion strength (∼234 N cm‑2) and low contact resistivity (2.2 × 10‑4 Ω cm2).

Nanowire Thermoelectric Devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Borshchevsky, Alexander; Fleurial, Jean-Pierre; Herman, Jennifer; Ryan, Margaret

2005-01-01

Nanowire thermoelectric devices, now under development, are intended to take miniaturization a step beyond the prior state of the art to exploit the potential advantages afforded by shrinking some device features to approximately molecular dimensions (of the order of 10 nm). The development of nanowire-based thermoelectric devices could lead to novel power-generating, cooling, and sensing devices that operate at relatively low currents and high voltages. Recent work on the theory of thermoelectric devices has led to the expectation that the performance of such a device could be enhanced if the diameter of the wires could be reduced to a point where quantum confinement effects increase charge-carrier mobility (thereby increasing the Seebeck coefficient) and reduce thermal conductivity. In addition, even in the absence of these effects, the large aspect ratios (length of the order of tens of microns diameter of the order of tens of nanometers) of nanowires would be conducive to the maintenance of large temperature differences at small heat fluxes. The predicted net effect of reducing diameters to the order of tens of nanometers would be to increase its efficiency by a factor of .3. Nanowires made of thermoelectric materials and devices that comprise arrays of such nanowires can be fabricated by electrochemical growth of the thermoelectric materials in templates that contain suitably dimensioned pores (10 to 100 nm in diameter and 1 to 100 microns long). The nanowires can then be contacted in bundles to form devices that look similar to conventional thermoelectric devices, except that a production version may contain nearly a billion elements (wires) per square centimeter, instead of fewer than a hundred as in a conventional bulk thermoelectric device or fewer than 100,000 as in a microdevice. It is not yet possible to form contacts with individual nanowires. Therefore, in fabricating a nanowire thermoelectric device, one forms contacts on nanowires in bundles of the order of 10-microns wide. The fill factor for the cross-section of a typical bundle is about 1/2. Nanowires have been grown in alumina templates with pore diameters of 100 and 40 nm.

Spatial buckling analysis of current-carrying nanowires in the presence of a longitudinal magnetic field accounting for both surface and nonlocal effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foroutan, Shahin; Haghshenas, Amin; Hashemian, Mohammad; Eftekhari, S. Ali; Toghraie, Davood

2018-03-01

In this paper, three-dimensional buckling behavior of nanowires was investigated based on Eringen's Nonlocal Elasticity Theory. The electric current-carrying nanowires were affected by a longitudinal magnetic field based upon the Lorentz force. The nanowires (NWs) were modeled based on Timoshenko beam theory and the Gurtin-Murdoch's surface elasticity theory. Generalized Differential Quadrature (GDQ) method was used to solve the governing equations of the NWs. Two sets of boundary conditions namely simple-simple and clamped-clamped were applied and the obtained results were discussed. Results demonstrated the effect of electric current, magnetic field, small-scale parameter, slenderness ratio, and nanowires diameter on the critical compressive buckling load of nanowires. As a key result, increasing the small-scale parameter decreased the critical load. By the same token, increasing the electric current, magnetic field, and slenderness ratio resulted in a decrease in the critical load. As the slenderness ratio increased, the effect of nonlocal theory decreased. In contrast, by expanding the NWs diameter, the nonlocal effect increased. Moreover, in the present article, the critical values of the magnetic field of strength and slenderness ratio were revealed, and the roles of the magnetic field, slenderness ratio, and NWs diameter on higher buckling loads were discussed.

Self-assembled InN quantum dots on side facets of GaN nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bi, Zhaoxia; Ek, Martin; Stankevic, Tomas; Colvin, Jovana; Hjort, Martin; Lindgren, David; Lenrick, Filip; Johansson, Jonas; Wallenberg, L. Reine; Timm, Rainer; Feidenhans'l, Robert; Mikkelsen, Anders; Borgström, Magnus T.; Gustafsson, Anders; Ohlsson, B. Jonas; Monemar, Bo; Samuelson, Lars

2018-04-01

Self-assembled, atomic diffusion controlled growth of InN quantum dots was realized on the side facets of dislocation-free and c-oriented GaN nanowires having a hexagonal cross-section. The nanowires were synthesized by selective area metal organic vapor phase epitaxy. A 3 Å thick InN wetting layer was observed after growth, on top of which the InN quantum dots formed, indicating self-assembly in the Stranski-Krastanow growth mode. We found that the InN quantum dots can be tuned to nucleate either preferentially at the edges between GaN nanowire side facets, or directly on the side facets by tuning the adatom migration by controlling the precursor supersaturation and growth temperature. Structural characterization by transmission electron microscopy and reciprocal space mapping show that the InN quantum dots are close to be fully relaxed (residual strain below 1%) and that the c-planes of the InN quantum dots are tilted with respect to the GaN core. The strain relaxes mainly by the formation of misfit dislocations, observed with a periodicity of 3.2 nm at the InN and GaN hetero-interface. The misfit dislocations introduce I1 type stacking faults (…ABABCBC…) in the InN quantum dots. Photoluminescence investigations of the InN quantum dots show that the emissions shift to higher energy with reduced quantum dot size, which we attribute to increased quantum confinement.

Mg2B2O5 Nanowire Enabled Multifunctional Solid-State Electrolytes with High Ionic Conductivity, Excellent Mechanical Properties, and Flame-Retardant Performance.

PubMed

Sheng, Ouwei; Jin, Chengbin; Luo, Jianmin; Yuan, Huadong; Huang, Hui; Gan, Yongping; Zhang, Jun; Xia, Yang; Liang, Chu; Zhang, Wenkui; Tao, Xinyong

2018-05-09

High ionic conductivity, satisfactory mechanical properties, and wide electrochemical windows are crucial factors for composite electrolytes employed in solid-state lithium-ion batteries (SSLIBs). Based on these considerations, we fabricate Mg 2 B 2 O 5 nanowire enabled poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-based solid-state electrolytes (SSEs). Notably, these SSEs have enhanced ionic conductivity and a large electrochemical window. The elevated ionic conductivity is attributed to the improved motion of PEO chains and the increased Li migrating pathway on the interface between Mg 2 B 2 O 5 and PEO-LiTFSI. Moreover, the interaction between Mg 2 B 2 O 5 and -SO 2 - in TFSI - anions could also benefit the improvement of conductivity. In addition, the SSEs containing Mg 2 B 2 O 5 nanowires exhibit improved the mechanical properties and flame-retardant performance, which are all superior to the pristine PEO-LiTFSI electrolyte. When these multifunctional SSEs are paired with LiFePO 4 cathodes and lithium metal anodes, the SSLIBs show better rate performance and higher cyclic capacity of 150, 106, and 50 mAh g -1 under 0.2 C at 50, 40, and 30 °C. This strategy of employing Mg 2 B 2 O 5 nanowires provides the design guidelines of assembling multifunctional SSLIBs with high ionic conductivity, excellent mechanical properties, and flame-retardant performance at the same time.

Construction of Hierarchical CuO/Cu2O@NiCo2S4 Nanowire Arrays on Copper Foam for High Performance Supercapacitor Electrodes

PubMed Central

Zhou, Luoxiao; He, Ying; Jia, Congpu; Pavlinek, Vladimir; Saha, Petr; Cheng, Qilin

2017-01-01

Hierarchical copper oxide @ ternary nickel cobalt sulfide (CuO/Cu2O@NiCo2S4) core-shell nanowire arrays on Cu foam have been successfully constructed by a facile two-step strategy. Vertically aligned CuO/Cu2O nanowire arrays are firstly grown on Cu foam by one-step thermal oxidation of Cu foam, followed by electrodeposition of NiCo2S4 nanosheets on the surface of CuO/Cu2O nanowires to form the CuO/Cu2O@NiCo2S4 core-shell nanostructures. Structural and morphological characterizations indicate that the average thickness of the NiCo2S4 nanosheets is ~20 nm and the diameter of CuO/Cu2O core is ~50 nm. Electrochemical properties of the hierarchical composites as integrated binder-free electrodes for supercapacitor were evaluated by various electrochemical methods. The hierarchical composite electrodes could achieve ultrahigh specific capacitance of 3.186 F cm−2 at 10 mA cm−2, good rate capability (82.06% capacitance retention at the current density from 2 to 50 mA cm−2) and excellent cycling stability, with capacitance retention of 96.73% after 2000 cycles at 10 mA cm−2. These results demonstrate the significance of optimized design and fabrication of electrode materials with more sufficient electrolyte-electrode interface, robust structural integrity and fast ion/electron transfer. PMID:28914819

An innovative large scale integration of silicon nanowire-based field effect transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Legallais, M.; Nguyen, T. T. T.; Mouis, M.; Salem, B.; Robin, E.; Chenevier, P.; Ternon, C.

2018-05-01

Since the early 2000s, silicon nanowire field effect transistors are emerging as ultrasensitive biosensors while offering label-free, portable and rapid detection. Nevertheless, their large scale production remains an ongoing challenge due to time consuming, complex and costly technology. In order to bypass these issues, we report here on the first integration of silicon nanowire networks, called nanonet, into long channel field effect transistors using standard microelectronic process. A special attention is paid to the silicidation of the contacts which involved a large number of SiNWs. The electrical characteristics of these FETs constituted by randomly oriented silicon nanowires are also studied. Compatible integration on the back-end of CMOS readout and promising electrical performances open new opportunities for sensing applications.

Effect of diameter of metal nanowires on pool boiling heat transfer with FC-72

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar G., Udaya; S., Suresh; M. R., Thansekhar; Babu P., Dinesh

2017-11-01

Effect of varying diameter of metal nanowires on pool boiling heat transfer performance is presented in this study. Copper nanowires (CuNWs) of four different diameters (∼35 nm, ∼70 nm, ∼130 nm and ∼200 nm) were grown directly on copper specimen using template-based electrodeposition technique. Both critical heat flux (CHF) and boiling heat transfer coefficient (h) were found to be improved in surfaces with nanowires as compared to the bare copper surface. Moreover, both the parameters were found to increase with increasing diameter of the nanowires. The percentage increases observed in CHF for the samples with nanowires were 38.37%, 40.16%, 48.48% and 45.57% whereas the percentage increase in the heat transfer coefficient were 86.36%, 95.45%, 184.1% and 131.82% respectively as compared to the bare copper surface. Important reasons believed for this enhancement were improvement in micron scale cavity density and cavity size which arises as a result of the coagulation and grouping of nanowires during the drying process. In addition to this, superhydrophilic nature, capillary effect, and enhanced bubble dynamics parameters (bubble frequency, bubble departure diameter, and nucleation site density) were found to be the concurring mechanisms responsible for this enhancement in heat transfer performance. Qualitative bubble dynamics analysis was done for the surfaces involved and the visual observations are provided to support the results presented and discussed.

Electronic transport properties of single-crystal bismuth nanowire arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Zhibo; Sun, Xiangzhong; Dresselhaus, M. S.; Ying, Jackie Y.; Heremans, J.

2000-02-01

We present here a detailed study of the electrical transport properties of single-crystal bismuth nanowire arrays embedded in a dielectric matrix. Measurements of the resistance of Bi nanowire arrays with different wire diameters (60-110 nm) have been carried out over a wide range of temperatures (2.0-300 K) and magnetic fields (0-5.4 T). The transport properties of a heavily Te-doped Bi nanowire array have also been studied. At low temperatures, we show that the wire boundary scattering is the dominant scattering process for carriers in the undoped single-crystal Bi nanowires, while boundary scattering is less important for a heavily Te-doped sample, consistent with general theoretical considerations. The temperature dependences of the zero-field resistivity and of the longitudinal magneto-coefficient of the Bi nanowires were also studied and were found to be sensitive to the wire diameter. The quantum confinement of carriers is believed to play an important role in determining the overall temperature dependence of the zero-field resistivity. Theoretical considerations of the quantum confinement effects on the electronic band structure and on the transport properties of Bi nanowires are discussed. Despite the evidence for localization effects and diffusive electron interactions at low temperatures (T<=4.0 K), localization effects are not the dominant mechanisms affecting the resistivity or the magnetoresistance in the temperature range of this study.

Nonlinear Conductive Behaviour of Silver Nanowires/Silicone Rubber Composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Pin; Qu, Zhaoming; Wang, Qingguo; Bai, Liyun; Zhao, Shiyang

2018-01-01

Silver nanowires with an average length of 10 μm and diameter of about 90 nm have been synthesized by polyol reduction of silver nitrate in the presence of polyvinylpyrrolidone(PVP). Silver nanowires (AgNWs)/silicone rubber (SR) composites have been made by mixing silver nanowires into silicone rubber. The nonlinear response of AgNWs/SR composites under high electric field is investigated. The nonlinear Conductive behavior of composites is considered as a competitive process of several effects. From the perspective of the microstructure of composites, the conductive path is established by the quantum tunnel effect between silver nanowires. The influence factors on the conductivity of composites are discussed and analyzed. The results show that the AgNWs/SR composites with nonlinear conductive properties are of great potential application in electromagnetic protection of electron device and system.

Electrolyte-gated transistors based on conducting polymer nanowire junction arrays.

PubMed

Alam, Maksudul M; Wang, Jun; Guo, Yaoyao; Lee, Stephanie P; Tseng, Hsian-Rong

2005-07-07

In this study, we describe the electrolyte gating and doping effects of transistors based on conducting polymer nanowire electrode junction arrays in buffered aqueous media. Conducting polymer nanowires including polyaniline, polypyrrole, and poly(ethylenedioxythiophene) were investigated. In the presence of a positive gate bias, the device exhibits a large on/off current ratio of 978 for polyaniline nanowire-based transistors; these values vary according to the acidity of the gate medium. We attribute these efficient electrolyte gating and doping effects to the electrochemically fabricated nanostructures of conducting polymer nanowires. This study demonstrates that two-terminal devices can be easily converted into three-terminal transistors by simply immersing the device into an electrolyte solution along with a gate electrode. Here, the field-induced modulation can be applied for signal amplification to enhance the device performance.

Contact planarization of ensemble nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chia, A. C. E.; LaPierre, R. R.

2011-06-01

The viability of four organic polymers (S1808, SC200, SU8 and Cyclotene) as filling materials to achieve planarization of ensemble nanowire arrays is reported. Analysis of the porosity, surface roughness and thermal stability of each filling material was performed. Sonication was used as an effective method to remove the tops of the nanowires (NWs) to achieve complete planarization. Ensemble nanowire devices were fully fabricated and I-V measurements confirmed that Cyclotene effectively planarizes the NWs while still serving the role as an insulating layer between the top and bottom contacts. These processes and analysis can be easily implemented into future characterization and fabrication of ensemble NWs for optoelectronic device applications.

Contact planarization of ensemble nanowires.

PubMed

Chia, A C E; LaPierre, R R

2011-06-17

The viability of four organic polymers (S1808, SC200, SU8 and Cyclotene) as filling materials to achieve planarization of ensemble nanowire arrays is reported. Analysis of the porosity, surface roughness and thermal stability of each filling material was performed. Sonication was used as an effective method to remove the tops of the nanowires (NWs) to achieve complete planarization. Ensemble nanowire devices were fully fabricated and I-V measurements confirmed that Cyclotene effectively planarizes the NWs while still serving the role as an insulating layer between the top and bottom contacts. These processes and analysis can be easily implemented into future characterization and fabrication of ensemble NWs for optoelectronic device applications.

Controlling bottom-up rapid growth of single crystalline gallium nitride nanowires on silicon.

PubMed

Wu, Ko-Li; Chou, Yi; Su, Chang-Chou; Yang, Chih-Chaing; Lee, Wei-I; Chou, Yi-Chia

2017-12-20

We report single crystalline gallium nitride nanowire growth from Ni and Ni-Au catalysts on silicon using hydride vapor phase epitaxy. The growth takes place rapidly; efficiency in time is higher than the conventional nanowire growth in metal-organic chemical vapor deposition and thin film growth in molecular beam epitaxy. The effects of V/III ratio and carrier gas flow on growth are discussed regarding surface polarity and sticking coefficient of molecules. The nanowires of gallium nitride exhibit excellent crystallinity with smooth and straight morphology and uniform orientation. The growth mechanism follows self-assembly from both catalysts, where Au acts as a protection from etching during growth enabling the growth of ultra-long nanowires. The photoluminescence of such nanowires are adjustable by tuning the growth parameters to achieve blue emission. The practical range of parameters for mass production of such high crystal quality and uniformity of nanowires is suggested.

Electromagnetic Field Enhancement on Axially Heterostructured NWs: The Role of the Heterojunctions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pura, J. L.; Souto, J.; Periwal, P.; Baron, T.; Jiménez, J.

2018-05-01

Semiconductor nanowires are the building blocks of future nanoelectronic devices. The study of the interaction between nanowires and visible light reveals resonances that promise light absorption/scattering engineering for photonic applications. We carried out experimental measurements through the micro-Raman spectroscopy of different group IV nanowires, both homogeneous Si nanowires and axially heterostructured SiGe/Si nanowires. These experimental measurements show an enhancement of the Raman signal in the vicinity of the heterojunction of SiGe/Si nanowires. The results are analysed in terms of the electromagnetic modelling of the light/nanowire interaction using finite element methods. The presence of axial heterostructures is shown to produce electromagnetic resonances, and the results are understood as a consequence of a finite change in the relative permittivity of the material at the SiGe/Si heterojunction. This effect opens a path to controlling interactions between light and matter at the nanoscale with direct applications in photonic nanodevices.

Insights into gold-catalyzed plasma-assisted CVD growth of silicon nanowires

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, Wanghua, E-mail: wanghua.chen@polytechnique.edu; Roca i Cabarrocas, Pere

2016-07-25

Understanding and controlling effectively the behavior of metal catalyst droplets during the Vapor-Liquid-Solid growth of nanowires are crucial for their applications. In this work, silicon nanowires are produced by plasma-assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition using gold as a catalyst. The influence of hydrogen plasma on nanowire growth is investigated experimentally and theoretically. Interestingly, in contrast to conventional chemical vapor deposition, the growth rate of silicon nanowires shows a decrease as a function of their diameters, which is consistent with the incorporation of silicon via sidewall diffusion. We show that Ostwald ripening of catalyst droplets during nanowire growth is inhibited in themore » presence of a hydrogen plasma. However, when the plasma is off, the diffusion of Au atoms on the nanowire sidewall can take place. Based on this observation, we have developed a convenient method to grow silicon nanotrees.« less

CROSS-DISCIPLINARY PHYSICS AND RELATED AREAS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: The effect of substrate on magnetic properties of Co/Cu multilayer nanowire arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Yong; Wang, Jian-Bo; Liu, Qing-Fang; Han, Xiang-Hua; Xue, De-Sheng

2009-08-01

Ordered Co/Cu multilayer nanowire arrays have been fabricated into anodic aluminium oxide templates with Ag and Cu substrate by direct current electrodeposition. This paper studies the morphology, structure and magnetic properties by transmission electron microscopy, selective area electron diffraction, x-ray diffraction, and vibrating sample magnetometer. X-ray diffraction patterns reveal that both as-deposited nanowire arrays films exhibit face-centred cubic structure. Magnetic measurements indicate that the easy magnetization direction of Co/Cu multilayer nanowire arrays films on Ag substrate is perpendicular to the long axis of nanowire, whereas the easy magnetization direction of the sample with Cu substrate is parallel to the long axis of nanowire. The change of easy magnetization direction attributed to different substrates, and the magnetic properties of the nanowire arrays are discussed.

Numerical study of electrical transport in co-percolative metal nanowire-graphene thin-films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, Man Prakash; Kumar, Satish

2016-11-01

Nanowires-dispersed polycrystalline graphene has been recently explored as a transparent conducting material for applications such as solar cells, displays, and touch-screens. Metal nanowires and polycrystalline graphene play synergetic roles during the charge transport in the material by compensating for each other's limitations. In the present work, we develop and employ an extensive computational framework to study the essential characteristics of the charge transport not only on an aggregate basis but also on individual constituents' levels in these types of composite thin-films. The method allows the detailed visualization of the percolative current pathways in the material and provides the direct evidence of current crowding in the 1-D nanowires and 2-D polygraphene sheet. The framework is used to study the effects of several important governing parameters such as length, density and orientation of the nanowires, grain density in polygraphene, grain boundary resistance, and the contact resistance between nanowires and graphene. We also present and validate an effective medium theory based generalized analytical model for the composite. The analytical model is in agreement with the simulations, and it successfully predicts the overall conductance as a function of several parameters including the nanowire network density and orientation and graphene grain boundaries. Our findings suggest that the longer nanowires (compared to grain size) with low angle orientation (<40°) with respect to the main carrier transport direction provide significant advantages in enhancing the conductance of the polygraphene sheet. We also find that above a certain value of grain boundary resistance (>60 × intra-grain resistance), the overall conductance becomes nearly independent of grain boundary resistance due to nanowires. The developed model can be applied to study other emerging transparent conducting materials such as nanowires, nanotubes, polygraphene, graphene oxide, and their hybrid nanostructures.

The concentration effect of capping agent for synthesis of silver nanowire by using the polyol method

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lin, Jian-Yang; Hsueh, Yu-Lee; Huang, Jung-Jie, E-mail: jjhuang@mdu.edu.tw

2014-06-01

Silver nanowires were synthesized by the polyol method employing ethylene glycol, Poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) and silver nitrate (AgNO{sub 3}) as the precursors. Most of the studies used metal salts (PtCl{sub 2}, NaCl) as seed precursor to synthesize the silver nanowires. In the study, the metal salts were not used and the concentration of capping agent was changed to observe the aspect ratio of silver nanowires. The experimental results showed that controlling synthesis temperature, Poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) molecular weight, reactant concentrations, and addition rates of AgNO{sub 3} affects the growth characteristics of silver nanowires. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy, UV–vis spectrophotometry, and X-ray diffractometrymore » were employed to characterize the silver nanowires. As increasing the concentration of PVP, the silver nanowire diameter widened and resulted in a smaller aspect ratio. We successfully prepared silver nanowires (diameter: 170 nm, length: 20 μm). The silver nanowire thin film suspension showed high transmittance, low sheet resistance, and may be used for transparent conductive film applications. - Graphical abstract: The FE-SEM image shows that nanostructures with considerable quantities of silver nanowires can also be produced when the PVP (Mw=360 K)/AgNO{sub 3} molar ratio was 2.5. - Highlights: • The polyol method was used to synthesize of silver nanowire. • The metal seed precursors were not used before synthesizing the silver nanowires. • The silver nanowire diameter and length was 170 nm and 20 μm, respectively. • Silver nanowire film with high transmittance (>85%) and low sheet resistance (<110 Ω/sq)« less

Dewetting process of Au films on SiO2 nanowires: Activation energy evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruffino, F.; Grimaldi, M. G.

2015-05-01

SiO2 nanowires gain scientific and technological interest in application fields ranging from nano-electronics, optics and photonics to bio-sensing. Furthermore, the SiO2 nanowires chemical and physical properties, and so their performances in devices, can be enhanced if decorated by metal nanoparticles (such Au) due to local plasmonic effects. In the present paper, we propose a simple, low-cost and high-throughput three-steps methodology for the mass-production of Au nanoparticles coated SiO2 nanowires. It is based on (1) production of the SiO2 nanowires on Si surface by solid state reaction of an Au film with the Si substrate at high temperature; (2) sputtering deposition of Au on the SiO2 nanowires to obtain the nanowires coated by an Au film; and (3) furnace annealing processes to induce the Au film dewetting on the SiO2 nanowires surface. Using scanning electron microscopy analyses, we followed the change of the Au nanoparticles mean versus the annealing time extracting values for the characteristic activation energy of the dewetting process of the Au film on the SiO2 nanowires surface. Such a study can allow the tuning of the nanowires/nanoparticles sizes for desired technological applications.

Surface diffusion effects on growth of nanowires by chemical beam epitaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Persson, A. I.; Fröberg, L. E.; Jeppesen, S.; Björk, M. T.; Samuelson, L.

2007-02-01

Surface processes play a large role in the growth of semiconductor nanowires by chemical beam epitaxy. In particular, for III-V nanowires the surface diffusion of group-III species is important to understand in order to control the nanowire growth. In this paper, we have grown InAs-based nanowires positioned by electron beam lithography and have investigated the dependence of the diffusion of In species on temperature, group-III and -V source pressure and group-V source combinations by measuring nanowire growth rate for different nanowire spacings. We present a model which relates the nanowire growth rate to the migration length of In species. The model is fitted to the experimental data for different growth conditions, using the migration length as fitting parameter. The results show that the migration length increases with decreasing temperature and increasing group-V/group-III source pressure ratio. This will most often lead to an increase in growth rate, but deviations will occur due to incomplete decomposition and changes in sticking coefficient for group-III species. The results also show that the introduction of phosphorous precursor for growth of InAs1-xPx nanowires decreases the migration length of the In species followed by a decrease in nanowire growth rate.

Characterization of individual straight and kinked boron carbide nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, Zhiguang

Boron carbides represent a class of ceramic materials with p-type semiconductor natures, complex structures and a wide homogeneous range of carbon compositions. Bulk boron carbides have long been projected as promising high temperature thermoelectric materials, but with limited performance. Bringing the bulk boron carbides to low dimensions (e.g., nanowires) is believed to be an option to enhance their thermoelectric performance because of the quantum size effects. However, the fundamental studies on the microstructure-thermal property relation of boron carbide nanowires are elusive. In this dissertation work, systematic structural characterization and thermal conductivity measurement of individual straight and kinked boron carbide nanowires were carried out to establish the true structure-thermal transport relation. In addition, a preliminary Raman spectroscopy study on identifying the defects in individual boron carbide nanowires was conducted. After the synthesis of single crystalline boron carbide nanowires, straight nanowires accompanied by the kinked ones were observed. Detailed structures of straight boron carbide nanowires have been reported, but not the kinked ones. After carefully examining tens of kinked nanowires utilizing Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), it was found that they could be categorized into five cases depending on the stacking faults orientations in the two arms of the kink: TF-TF, AF-TF, AF-AF, TF-IF and AF-IF kinks, in which TF, AF and IF denotes transverse faults (preferred growth direction perpendicular to the stacking fault planes), axial faults (preferred growth direction in parallel with the stacking fault planes) and inclined faults (preferred growth direction neither perpendicular to nor in parallel with the stacking fault planes). Simple structure models describing the characteristics of TF-TF, AF-TF, AF-AF kinked nanowires are constructed in SolidWorks, which help to differentiate the kinked nanowires viewed from the zone axes where stacking faults are invisible. In collaboration with the experts in the field of thermal property characterization of one dimensional nanostructures, thermal conductivities of over 60 nanowires including both straight and kinked ones have been measured in the temperature range of 20 - 420 K and the parameters (i.e., carbon contents, diameters, stacking faults densities/orientations and kinks) affecting the phonon transport were explored. The results disclose strong carbon content and diameter dependence of thermal conductivities of boron carbide nanowires, which decreases as lowering the carbon content and diameter. Stacking fault orientations do modulate the phonon transport (kappaTF < kappa AF), while stacking fault densities seems to only have obvious effects on phonon transport when meeting certain threshold ( 39%). The most interesting discovery is significant reduction of thermal conductivity (15% - 40%) in kinked boron carbide nanowires due to phonon mode conversions and scattering at the kink site. Last but not least, micro-Raman spectroscopy study on individual boron carbide nanowires has been performed for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. Based on the preliminary data, it is found that the stacking fault orientations have no apparent effect on the Raman scattering, but the stacking fault densities do. In addition, up as the size going down to nanoscale, some Raman modes are inactive while some new ones show up, which is largely ascribed to the quantum confinement effects. One more important finding is that the carbon content also plays important role in the Raman scattering of boron carbide nanowires in the low frequency region (< 600 cm-1), which mainly comes from the 3-atom chains (C-B-C or C-B-B).

Optically controllable nanobreaking of metallic nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Lina; Lu, Jinsheng; Yang, Hangbo; Luo, Si; Wang, Wei; Lv, Jun; Qiu, Min; Li, Qiang

2017-02-01

Nanobreaking of nanowires has shown its necessity for manufacturing integrated nanodevices as nanojoining does. In this letter, we develop a method for breaking gold pentagonal nanowires by taking advantage of the photothermal effect with a 532 nm continuous-wave (CW) laser. The critical power required for nanobreaking is much lower for perpendicular polarization than that for parallel polarization. By controlling the polarization and the power of the irradiation light for nanobreaking, the nanowires can be cut into segments with gap widths ranging from dozens of nanometers to several micrometers. This CW light-induced single point nanobreaking of metallic nanowires provides a highly useful and promising method in constructing nanosystems.

The kinetic friction of ZnO nanowires on amorphous SiO2 and SiN substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roy, Aditi; Xie, Hongtao; Wang, Shiliang; Huang, Han

2016-12-01

ZnO nanowires were bent on amorphous SiO2 and SiN substrates in an ambient atmosphere using optical nanomanipulation. The kinetic friction between the nanowires and substrate was determined from the bent shape of the nanowires. The kinetic friction force per unit area, i.e. frictional shear stress, for the ZnO/SiO2 and ZnO/SiN nanowire/substrate systems being measured were 1.05 ± 0.28 and 2.08 ± 0.33 MPa, respectively. The surface roughness and the Hamaker constant of SiO2 and SiN substrates had significant effect on the frictional stresses.

Poole-Frenkel effect and phonon-assisted tunneling in GaAs nanowires.

PubMed

Katzenmeyer, Aaron M; Léonard, François; Talin, A Alec; Wong, Ping-Show; Huffaker, Diana L

2010-12-08

We present electronic transport measurements of GaAs nanowires grown by catalyst-free metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. Despite the nanowires being doped with a relatively high concentration of substitutional impurities, we find them inordinately resistive. By measuring sufficiently high aspect ratio nanowires individually in situ, we decouple the role of the contacts and show that this semi-insulating electrical behavior is the result of trap-mediated carrier transport. We observe Poole-Frenkel transport that crosses over to phonon-assisted tunneling at higher fields, with a tunneling time found to depend predominantly on fundamental physical constants as predicted by theory. By using in situ electron beam irradiation of individual nanowires, we probe the nanowire electronic transport when free carriers are made available, thus revealing the nature of the contacts.

Directional and dynamic modulation of the optical emission of an individual GaAs nanowire using surface acoustic waves.

PubMed

Kinzel, Jörg B; Rudolph, Daniel; Bichler, Max; Abstreiter, Gerhard; Finley, Jonathan J; Koblmüller, Gregor; Wixforth, Achim; Krenner, Hubert J

2011-04-13

We report on optical experiments performed on individual GaAs nanowires and the manipulation of their temporal emission characteristics using a surface acoustic wave. We find a pronounced, characteristic suppression of the emission intensity for the surface acoustic wave propagation aligned with the axis of the nanowire. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this quenching is dynamical as it shows a pronounced modulation as the local phase of the surface acoustic wave is tuned. These effects are strongly reduced for a surface acoustic wave applied in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the nanowire due to their inherent one-dimensional geometry. We resolve a fully dynamic modulation of the nanowire emission up to 678 MHz not limited by the physical properties of the nanowires.

Observation of linear I-V curves on vertical GaAs nanowires with atomic force microscope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geydt, P.; Alekseev, P. A.; Dunaevskiy, M.; Lähderanta, E.; Haggrén, T.; Kakko, J.-P.; Lipsanen, H.

2015-12-01

In this work we demonstrate the possibility of studying the current-voltage characteristics for single vertically standing semiconductor nanowires on standard AFM equipped by current measuring module in PeakForce Tapping mode. On the basis of research of eight different samples of p-doped GaAs nanowires grown on different GaAs substrates, peculiar electrical effects were revealed. It was found how covering of substrate surface by SiOx layer increases the current, as well as phosphorous passivation of the grown nanowires. Elimination of the Schottky barrier between golden cap and the top parts of nanowires was observed. It was additionally studied that charge accumulation on the shell of single nanowires affects its resistivity and causes the hysteresis loops on I-V curves.

Monolithically Integrated High-β Nanowire Lasers on Silicon.

PubMed

Mayer, B; Janker, L; Loitsch, B; Treu, J; Kostenbader, T; Lichtmannecker, S; Reichert, T; Morkötter, S; Kaniber, M; Abstreiter, G; Gies, C; Koblmüller, G; Finley, J J

2016-01-13

Reliable technologies for the monolithic integration of lasers onto silicon represent the holy grail for chip-level optical interconnects. In this context, nanowires (NWs) fabricated using III-V semiconductors are of strong interest since they can be grown site-selectively on silicon using conventional epitaxial approaches. Their unique one-dimensional structure and high refractive index naturally facilitate low loss optical waveguiding and optical recirculation in the active NW-core region. However, lasing from NWs on silicon has not been achieved to date, due to the poor modal reflectivity at the NW-silicon interface. We demonstrate how, by inserting a tailored dielectric interlayer at the NW-Si interface, low-threshold single mode lasing can be achieved in vertical-cavity GaAs-AlGaAs core-shell NW lasers on silicon as measured at low temperature. By exploring the output characteristics along a detection direction parallel to the NW-axis, we measure very high spontaneous emission factors comparable to nanocavity lasers (β = 0.2) and achieve ultralow threshold pump energies ≤11 pJ/pulse. Analysis of the input-output characteristics of the NW lasers and the power dependence of the lasing emission line width demonstrate the potential for high pulsation rates ≥250 GHz. Such highly efficient nanolasers grown monolithically on silicon are highly promising for the realization of chip-level optical interconnects.

Ultra-fast microwave-assisted hydrothermal synthesis of long vertically aligned ZnO nanowires for dye-sensitized solar cell application.

PubMed

Mahpeykar, S M; Koohsorkhi, J; Ghafoori-Fard, H

2012-04-27

Long vertically aligned ZnO nanowire arrays were synthesized using an ultra-fast microwave-assisted hydrothermal process. Using this method, we were able to grow ZnO nanowire arrays at an average growth rate as high as 200 nm min(-1) for maximum microwave power level. This method does not suffer from the growth stoppage problem at long growth times that, according to our investigations, a normal microwave-assisted hydrothermal method suffers from. Longitudinal growth of the nanowire arrays was investigated as a function of microwave power level and growth time using cross-sectional FESEM images of the grown arrays. Effect of seed layer on the alignment of nanowires was also studied. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed c-axis orientation and single-phase wurtzite structure of the nanowires. J-V curves of the fabricated ZnO nanowire-based mercurochrome-sensitized solar cells indicated that the short-circuit current density is increased with increasing the length of the nanowire array. According to the UV-vis spectra of the dyes detached from the cells, these increments were mainly attributed to the enlarged internal surface area and therefore dye loading enhancement in the lengthened nanowire arrays.

Silicon nanowires as field-effect transducers for biosensor development: a review.

PubMed

Noor, M Omair; Krull, Ulrich J

2014-05-12

The unique electronic properties and miniaturized dimensions of silicon nanowires (SiNWs) are attractive for label-free, real-time and sensitive detection of biomolecules. Sensors based on SiNWs operate as field effect transistors (FETs) and can be fabricated either by top-down or bottom-up approaches. Advances in fabrication methods have allowed for the control of physicochemical and electronic properties of SiNWs, providing opportunity for interfacing of SiNW-FET probes with intracellular environments. The Debye screening length is an important consideration that determines the performance and detection limits of SiNW-FET sensors, especially at physiologically relevant conditions of ionic strength (>100mM). In this review, we discuss the construction and application of SiNW-FET sensors for detection of ions, nucleic acids and protein markers. Advantages and disadvantages of the top-down and bottom-up approaches for synthesis of SiNWs are discussed. An overview of various methods for surface functionalization of SiNWs for immobilization of selective chemistry is provided in the context of impact on the analytical performance of SiNW-FET sensors. In addition to in vitro examples, an overview of the progress of use of SiNW-FET sensors for ex vivo studies is also presented. This review concludes with a discussion of the future prospects of SiNW-FET sensors. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Probing the photoresponse of individual Nb2O5 nanowires with global and localized laser beam irradiation.

PubMed

Tamang, Rajesh; Varghese, Binni; Mhaisalkar, Subodh G; Tok, Eng Soon; Sow, Chorng Haur

2011-03-18

Photoresponse of isolated Nb(2)O(5) nanowires (NW) padded with platinum (Pt) at both ends were studied with global irradiation by a laser beam and localized irradiation using a focused laser beam. Global laser irradiation on individual NW in ambient and vacuum conditions revealed photocurrent contributions with different time characteristics (rapid and slowly varying components) arising from defect level excitations, thermal heating effect, surface states and NW-Pt contacts. With a spot size of < 1 µm, localized irradiation highlighted the fact that the measured photocurrent in this single NW device (with and without applied bias) depended sensitively on the photoresponse at the NW-Pt contacts. At applied bias, unidirectional photocurrent was observed and higher photocurrent was achieved with localized laser irradiation at reverse-biased NW-Pt contacts. At zero bias, the opposite polarity of photocurrents was detected when the two NW-Pt contacts were subjected to focused laser beam irradiation. A reduced Schottky barrier/width resulting from an increase in charge carriers and thermoelectric effects arising from the localized thermal heating due to focused laser beam irradiation were proposed as the mechanisms dictating the photocurrent at the NW-Pt interface. Comparison of photocurrents generated upon global and localized laser irradiation showed that the main contribution to the photocurrent was largely due to the photoresponse of the NW-Pt contacts.

Nanopipes in gallium nitride nanowires and rods.

PubMed

Jacobs, Benjamin W; Crimp, Martin A; McElroy, Kaylee; Ayres, Virginia M

2008-12-01

Gallium nitride nanowires and rods synthesized by a catalyst-free vapor-solid growth method were analyzed with cross section high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The cross section studies revealed hollow core screw dislocations, or nanopipes, in the nanowires and rods. The hollow cores were located at or near the center of the nanowires and rods, along the axis of a screw dislocation. The formation of the hollow cores is consistent with effect of screw dislocations with giant Burgers vector predicted by Frank.

Resonant features of the terahertz generation in semiconductor nanowires

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Trukhin, V. N., E-mail: valera.truchin@mail.ioffe.ru; Bouravleuv, A. D.; Mustafin, I. A.

2016-12-15

The paper presents the results of experimental studies of the generation of terahertz radiation in periodic arrays of GaAs nanowires via excitation by ultrashort optical pulses. It is found that the generation of THz radiation exhibits resonant behavior due to the resonant excitation of cylindrical modes in the nanowires. At the optimal geometric parameters of the nanowire array, the generation efficiency is found to be higher than that for bulk p-InAs, which is one of the most effective coherent terahertz emitters.

A facile strategy to decorate Cu9S5 nanocrystals on polyaniline nanowires and their synergetic catalytic properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Xiao-Feng; Bian, Xiu-Jie; Li, Zhi-Cheng; Chao, Dan-Ming; Wang, Ce

2013-10-01

Here, we demonstrated a novel method to decorate Cu9S5 nanocrystals on polyaniline (PANI) nanowires using the dopant of mercaptoacetic acid (MAA) in the PANI matrix as the sulfur source under a hydrothermal reaction. TEM images showed that Cu9S5 nanocrystals with a size in the range of 5-20 nm were uniformly formed on the surface of PANI nanowires. Significantly, the as-prepared PANI/Cu9S5 composite nanowires have been proven to be novel peroxidase mimics toward the oxidation of the peroxidase substrate 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) in the presence of H2O2. Due to the synergetic effects between polyaniline nanowires and Cu9S5 nanocrystals, the obtained PANI/Cu9S5 composite nanowires exhibit superior catalytic activity over the independent components. This work not only presents a simple and versatile method to decorate semiconductor nanocrystals on the surface of conducting polymer nanostructures, but also provides fundamental guidelines for further investigations into the synergetic effect between conducting polymers and other materials.

A facile strategy to decorate Cu9S5 nanocrystals on polyaniline nanowires and their synergetic catalytic properties

PubMed Central

Lu, Xiao-feng; Bian, Xiu-jie; Li, Zhi-cheng; Chao, Dan-ming; Wang, Ce

2013-01-01

Here, we demonstrated a novel method to decorate Cu9S5 nanocrystals on polyaniline (PANI) nanowires using the dopant of mercaptoacetic acid (MAA) in the PANI matrix as the sulfur source under a hydrothermal reaction. TEM images showed that Cu9S5 nanocrystals with a size in the range of 5–20 nm were uniformly formed on the surface of PANI nanowires. Significantly, the as-prepared PANI/Cu9S5 composite nanowires have been proven to be novel peroxidase mimics toward the oxidation of the peroxidase substrate 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) in the presence of H2O2. Due to the synergetic effects between polyaniline nanowires and Cu9S5 nanocrystals, the obtained PANI/Cu9S5 composite nanowires exhibit superior catalytic activity over the independent components. This work not only presents a simple and versatile method to decorate semiconductor nanocrystals on the surface of conducting polymer nanostructures, but also provides fundamental guidelines for further investigations into the synergetic effect between conducting polymers and other materials. PMID:24129741

Geometrical and band-structure effects on phonon-limited hole mobility in rectangular cross-sectional germanium nanowires

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tanaka, H., E-mail: tanaka@semicon.kuee.kyoto-u.ac.jp; Mori, S.; Morioka, N.

2014-12-21

We calculated the phonon-limited hole mobility in rectangular cross-sectional [001], [110], [111], and [112]-oriented germanium nanowires, and the hole transport characteristics were investigated. A tight-binding approximation was used for holes, and phonons were described by a valence force field model. Then, scattering probability of holes by phonons was calculated taking account of hole-phonon interaction atomistically, and the linearized Boltzmann's transport equation was solved to calculate the hole mobility at low longitudinal field. The dependence of the hole mobility on nanowire geometry was analyzed in terms of the valence band structure of germanium nanowires, and it was found that the dependencemore » was qualitatively reproduced by considering an average effective mass and the density of states of holes. The calculation revealed that [110] germanium nanowires with large height along the [001] direction show high hole mobility. Germanium nanowires with this geometry are also expected to exhibit high electron mobility in our previous work, and thus they are promising for complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) applications.« less

Effect of Growth Parameters on SnO2 Nanowires Growth by Electron Beam Evaporation Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rakesh Kumar, R.; Manjula, Y.; Narasimha Rao, K.

2018-02-01

Tin oxide (SnO2) nanowires were synthesized via catalyst assisted VLS growth mechanism by the electron beam evaporation method at a growth temperature of 450 °C. The effects of growth parameters such as evaporation rate of Tin, catalyst film thickness, and different types of substrates on the growth of SnO2 nanowires were studied. Nanowires (NWs) growth was completely seized at higher tin evaporation rates due to the inability of the catalyst particle to initiate the NWs growth. Nanowires diameters were able to tune with catalyst film thickness. Nanowires growth was completely absent at higher catalyst film thickness due to agglomeration of the catalyst film. Optimum growth parameters for SnO2 NWs were presented. Nanocomposites such as Zinc oxide - SnO2, Graphene oxide sheets- SnO2 and Graphene nanosheets-SnO2 were able to synthesize at a lower substrate temperature of 450 °C. These nanocompsoites will be useful in enhancing the capacity of Li-ion batteries, the gas sensing response and also useful in increasing the photo catalytic activity.

Stress effects on the initial lithiation of crystalline silicon nanowires: Reactive molecular dynamics simulations using ReaxFF

DOE PAGES

Ostadhossein, Alireza; Cubuk, Ekin D.; Tritsaris, Georgios A.; ...

2014-12-18

Silicon (Si) has been recognized as a promising anode material for the next-generation high-capacity lithium (Li)-ion batteries because of its high theoretical energy density. Recent in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that the electrochemical lithiation of crystalline Si nanowires (c-SiNWs) proceeds by the migration of the interface between the lithiated Si (LixSi) shell and the pristine unlithiated core, accompanied by solid-state amorphization. The underlying atomic mechanisms of Li insertion into c-Si remain poorly understood. In this research, we perform molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using the reactive force field (ReaxFF) to characterize the lithiation process of c-SiNWs. Our calculations showmore » that ReaxFF can accurately reproduce the energy barriers of Li migration from DFT calculations in both crystalline (c-Si) and amorphous Si (a-Si). The ReaxFF-based MD simulations reveal that Li insertion into interlayer spacing between two adjacent (111) planes results in the peeling-off of the (111) facets and subsequent amorphization, in agreement with experimental observations. We find that breaking of the Si–Si bonds between (111)-bilayers requires a rather high local Li concentration, which explains the atomically sharp amorphous–crystalline interface (ACI). Our stress analysis shows that lithiation induces compressive stress at the ACI layer, causing retardation or even the stagnation of the reaction front, also in good agreement with TEM observations. Lithiation at high temperatures (e.g. 1200 K) shows that Li insertion into c-SiNW results in an amorphous to crystalline phase transformation at Li : Si composition of ~4.2:1. In conclusion, our modeling results provide a comprehensive picture of the effects of reaction and diffusion-induced stress on the interfacial dynamics and mechanical degradation of SiNW anodes under chemo-mechanical lithiation.« less

Electrical characteristics of silicon percolating nanonet-based field effect transistors in the presence of dispersion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cazimajou, T.; Legallais, M.; Mouis, M.; Ternon, C.; Salem, B.; Ghibaudo, G.

2018-05-01

We studied the current-voltage characteristics of percolating networks of silicon nanowires (nanonets), operated in back-gated transistor mode, for future use as gas or biosensors. These devices featured P-type field-effect characteristics. It was found that a Lambert W function-based compact model could be used for parameter extraction of electrical parameters such as apparent low field mobility, threshold voltage and subthreshold slope ideality factor. Their variation with channel length and nanowire density was related to the change of conduction regime from direct source/drain connection by parallel nanowires to percolating channels. Experimental results could be related in part to an influence of the threshold voltage dispersion of individual nanowires.

Environmental-Friendly and Facile Synthesis of Co3O4 Nanowires and Their Promising Application with Graphene in Lithium-Ion Batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Zhiqiang; Liu, Wei; Yang, Yuanyi; Sun, Lijuan; Deng, Yi; Liao, Li

2017-12-01

In this work, we developed an eco-friendly strategy for preparing Co3O4 nanowires. The process consisted of two steps: controllable synthesis of metal cobalt nanowires followed by a facile air-oxidization step. The 1D nanowire structure with a high aspect ratio was easily achieved via a magnetic-field-assisted self-assembly of cobalt ion complexes during reduction. After air-calcinations, the Co3O4 nanowires were prepared in large scale and ready to be used as the anode material for lithium-ion batteries. The Co3O4 nanowires, which possessed a length ranging from 3 to 8 μm with the aspect ratio more than 15, exhibited a reversible lithium storage capacity up to 790 mAh/g when using a small amount of defect-free graphene flakes as conductive additives. The superior electrochemical performances were ascribable to the synergistic "flat-on" effect between the 1D nanowires and the 2D graphene. Therefore, the Co3O4 nanowire/graphene composite holds promising application for lithium-ion batteries.

High speed superconducting nanowire single-photon detector with nine interleaved nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Jia; Zhang, Weijun; You, Lixing; Zhang, Chengjun; Lv, Chaolin; Wang, Yong; Liu, Xiaoyu; Li, Hao; Wang, Zhen

2018-07-01

Count rate (CR) is one of the key parameters of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs). The practical SNSPDs usually have a CR of a few MHz to a few tens of MHz owing to the large kinetic inductance originating from the long nanowire, which is necessary for effectively coupling the photons. A feasible approach to decrease the kinetic inductance and consequently increase the detection speed is to replace a long single nanowire with multiple individual nanowires in an array. In this study, we report an SNSPD of nine interleaved nanowires with 70% system detection efficiency (SDE) and 200 Hz dark count rate at the low-photon-flux limit of 1550 nm. Owing to the small dead time (<6 ns) of each nanowire, the SNSPD achieved a maximum CR of 0.93 GHz at a photon flux of 1.26 × 1010 photons s‑1 with an SDE of ∼7.4%, and a CR of 200 MHz with an SDE of over 50%. Furthermore, a photon number resolvability of up to nine photons was also demonstrated.

Carrier trapping and activation at short-period wurtzite/zinc-blende stacking sequences in polytypic InAs nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becker, J.; Morkötter, S.; Treu, J.; Sonner, M.; Speckbacher, M.; Döblinger, M.; Abstreiter, G.; Finley, J. J.; Koblmüller, G.

2018-03-01

We explore the effects of random and short-period crystal-phase intermixing in InAs nanowires (NW) on the carrier trapping and thermal activation behavior using correlated optical and electrical transport spectroscopy. The polytypic InAs NWs are grown by catalyst-free molecular beam epitaxy under different temperatures, resulting in different fractions of wurtzite (WZ) and zincblende (ZB) and variable short-period (˜1-4 nm) WZ/ZB stacking sequences. Temperature-dependent microphotoluminescence (μ PL) studies reveal that variations in the WZ/ZB stacking govern the emission energy and carrier confinement properties. The optical transition energies are modeled for a wide range of WZ/ZB stacking sequences using a Kronig-Penney type effective mass approximation, while comparison with experimental results suggests that polarization sheet charges on the order of ˜0.0016-0.08 C/m along the WZ/ZB interfaces need to be considered to best describe the data. The thermal activation characteristics of carriers trapped inside the short-period WZ/ZB structure are directly reproduced in the temperature-dependent carrier density evolution (4-300 K) probed by four-terminal (4T) NW-field effect transistor measurements. In particular, we find that activation of carriers in-between ˜1016-1017c m-3 follows a two-step process, with activation at low temperature attributed to WZ/ZB traps and activation at high temperature being linked to surface states and electron accumulation at the InAs NW surface.

Unusual negative permeability of single magnetic nanowire excited by the spin transfer torque effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Mangui; Zhou, Wu

2018-07-01

Due to the effect of spin transfer torque, negative imaginary parts of permeability (μ″ < 0) are reported in a ferromagnetic nanowire. It is found that negative μ″ values are resulted from the interaction of spin polarized conduction electrons with the spatially non-uniform distributed magnetic moments at both ends of nanowires. The results are well explained from the effect of spin transfer torque on the precession of magnetization under the excitation of both the pulsed magnetic field and static electric field.

The influence of surfaces on the transient terahertz conductivity and electron mobility of GaAs nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joyce, Hannah J.; Baig, Sarwat A.; Parkinson, Patrick; Davies, Christopher L.; Boland, Jessica L.; Tan, H. Hoe; Jagadish, Chennupati; Herz, Laura M.; Johnston, Michael B.

2017-06-01

Bare unpassivated GaAs nanowires feature relatively high electron mobilities (400-2100 cm2 V-1 s-1) and ultrashort charge carrier lifetimes (1-5 ps) at room temperature. These two properties are highly desirable for high speed optoelectronic devices, including photoreceivers, modulators and switches operating at microwave and terahertz frequencies. When engineering these GaAs nanowire-based devices, it is important to have a quantitative understanding of how the charge carrier mobility and lifetime can be tuned. Here we use optical-pump-terahertz-probe spectroscopy to quantify how mobility and lifetime depend on the nanowire surfaces and on carrier density in unpassivated GaAs nanowires. We also present two alternative frameworks for the analysis of nanowire photoconductivity: one based on plasmon resonance and the other based on Maxwell-Garnett effective medium theory with the nanowires modelled as prolate ellipsoids. We find the electron mobility decreases significantly with decreasing nanowire diameter, as charge carriers experience increased scattering at nanowire surfaces. Reducing the diameter from 50 nm to 30 nm degrades the electron mobility by up to 47%. Photoconductivity dynamics were dominated by trapping at saturable states existing at the nanowire surface, and the trapping rate was highest for the nanowires of narrowest diameter. The maximum surface recombination velocity, which occurs in the limit of all traps being empty, was calculated as 1.3  ×  106 cm s-1. We note that when selecting the optimum nanowire diameter for an ultrafast device, there is a trade-off between achieving a short lifetime and a high carrier mobility. To achieve high speed GaAs nanowire devices featuring the highest charge carrier mobilities and shortest lifetimes, we recommend operating the devices at low charge carrier densities.

Axial buckling and transverse vibration of ultrathin nanowires: low symmetry and surface elastic effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lei, Xiao; Narsu, B.; Yun, Guohong; Li, Jiangang; Yao, Haiyan

2016-05-01

Surface effects play a deterministic role in the physical and mechanical properties of nanosized materials and structures. In this paper, we present a self-consistent theoretical scheme for describing the elasticity of nanowires. The natural frequency and the critical compression force of axial buckling are obtained analytically, taking into consideration the influences of lower symmetry, additional elastic parameters, surface reconstruction, surface elasticity, and residual surface stress. Applications of the present theory to elastic systems for the  <1 0 0 >  axially oriented Si and Cu nanowires and Ag  <1 1 0 >  axially oriented nanowires yield good agreement with experimental data and calculated results. The larger positive value of the new elastic parameter c12α taken into account for Si  <1 0 0 >  oriented nanowires drives the curves of natural frequency and critical compression force versus thickness towards the results obtained from density functional theory simulation. Negative surface stress decreases the critical load for axial buckling, thus making the nanowires very easy to bend into various structures. The present study is envisaged to provide useful insights for the design and application of nanowire-based devices.

Silicon Nanowires for Solar Thermal Energy Harvesting: an Experimental Evaluation on the Trade-off Effects of the Spectral Optical Properties.

PubMed

Sekone, Abdoul Karim; Chen, Yu-Bin; Lu, Ming-Chang; Chen, Wen-Kai; Liu, Chia-An; Lee, Ming-Tsang

2016-12-01

Silicon nanowire possesses great potential as the material for renewable energy harvesting and conversion. The significantly reduced spectral reflectivity of silicon nanowire to visible light makes it even more attractive in solar energy applications. However, the benefit of its use for solar thermal energy harvesting remains to be investigated and has so far not been clearly reported. The purpose of this study is to provide practical information and insight into the performance of silicon nanowires in solar thermal energy conversion systems. Spectral hemispherical reflectivity and transmissivity of the black silicon nanowire array on silicon wafer substrate were measured. It was observed that the reflectivity is lower in the visible range but higher in the infrared range compared to the plain silicon wafer. A drying experiment and a theoretical calculation were carried out to directly evaluate the effects of the trade-off between scattering properties at different wavelengths. It is clearly seen that silicon nanowires can improve the solar thermal energy harnessing. The results showed that a 17.8 % increase in the harvest and utilization of solar thermal energy could be achieved using a silicon nanowire array on silicon substrate as compared to that obtained with a plain silicon wafer.

High dose gamma ray exposure effect on the properties of CdSe nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Narula, Chetna; Chauhan, R. P.

2018-03-01

We report high dose gamma-ray (γ-ray) induced modifications incurred by polycrystalline cadmium selenide (CdSe) nanowires of 80 nm diameter. The nanowires have been synthesized using polycarbonate template assisted electro-deposition technique. The samples were irradiated with 60Co γ-radiation at a dose rate of 4.533 kGy/h for different time intervals with doses varying from 0 to 400 kGy. The effects of γ rays on the structural, morphological, optical and electrical properties of nanowires are discussed. XRD patterns of as-synthesized and gamma irradiated CdSe nanowires did not show any phase transformations but the variation in relative intensity was observed. The crystallite size evaluated using Scherrer's formula was found to vary. The optical parameters were obtained using UV-vis spectrometer measurements of absorption. Band gap was found to decrease with γ irradiation up to a dose of 300 kGy after which it was seen to increase. Refractive index and optical dielectric constants were also evaluated. Subjection of γ-radiation also brings about key changes in the electrical properties of CdSe nanowires. The attained data shows that the electrical conductivity varies with absorbed dose. The variations in the properties of CdSe nanowires can be considered as a consequence of ionization process, defect production and its annihilation.

Spin filtering effect generated by the inter-subband spin-orbit coupling in the bilayer nanowire with the quantum point contact

PubMed Central

Wójcik, Paweł; Adamowski, Janusz

2017-01-01

The spin filtering effect in the bilayer nanowire with quantum point contact is investigated theoretically. We demonstrate the new mechanism of the spin filtering based on the lateral inter-subband spin-orbit coupling, which for the bilayer nanowires has been reported to be strong. The proposed spin filtering effect is explained as the joint effect of the Landau-Zener intersubband transitions caused by the hybridization of states with opposite spin (due to the lateral Rashba SO interaction) and the confinement of carriers in the quantum point contact region. PMID:28358141

The electronic structure and effective excitonic g factors of GaAs/GaMnAs core-shell nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Dong-Xiao; Xiong, Wen

2017-12-01

We calculate the electronic structures of cylindrical GaAs/GaMnAs core-shell nanowires in the magnetic field based on the eight-band effective-mass kṡp theory, and it is found that the hole states can present strong band-crossings. The probability densities of several lowest electron states and highest hole states at the Γ point are analyzed, and strangely, the distribution of the electron states are more complex than that of the hole states. Furthermore, the components of the electron states will change substantially as the increase of the radius R, which are almost unchanged for the hole states. A very interesting phenomenon is that the effective excitonic g factors gex can be tuned from a large positive value for GaMnAs nanowires to a small negative value for GaAs nanowires, and gex of GaAs nanowires and GaMnAs nanowires will vary slightly and greatly, respectively as the increase of the magnetic field. Meanwhile, we can obtain large gex in cylindrical GaAs/GaMnAs core-shell nanowires when the small magnetic field, the large concentration of manganese ions, the small core radius and the small radius are chosen. Another important result is also found that the radiative intensities of two σ polarized lights can be separated gradually by decreasing the core radius Rc , which can be used to detect two σ polarized lights in the experiment.

Effects of length dispersity and film fabrication on the sheet resistance of copper nanowire transparent conductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borchert, James W.; Stewart, Ian E.; Ye, Shengrong; Rathmell, Aaron R.; Wiley, Benjamin J.; Winey, Karen I.

2015-08-01

Development of thin-film transparent conductors (TC) based on percolating networks of metal nanowires has leaped forward in recent years, owing to the improvement of nanowire synthetic methods and modeling efforts by several research groups. While silver nanowires are the first commercially viable iteration of this technology, systems based on copper nanowires are not far behind. Here we present an analysis of TCs composed of copper nanowire networks on sheets of polyethylene terephthalate that have been treated with various oxide-removing post treatments to improve conductivity. A pseudo-2D rod network modeling approach has been modified to include lognormal distributions in length that more closely reflect experimental data collected from the nanowire TCs. In our analysis, we find that the copper nanowire TCs are capable of achieving comparable electrical performance to silver nanowire TCs with similar dimensions. Lastly, we present a method for more accurately determining the nanowire area coverage in a TC over a large area using Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) to directly measure the metal content in the TCs. These developments will aid research and industry groups alike in the characterization of nanowire based TCs.Development of thin-film transparent conductors (TC) based on percolating networks of metal nanowires has leaped forward in recent years, owing to the improvement of nanowire synthetic methods and modeling efforts by several research groups. While silver nanowires are the first commercially viable iteration of this technology, systems based on copper nanowires are not far behind. Here we present an analysis of TCs composed of copper nanowire networks on sheets of polyethylene terephthalate that have been treated with various oxide-removing post treatments to improve conductivity. A pseudo-2D rod network modeling approach has been modified to include lognormal distributions in length that more closely reflect experimental data collected from the nanowire TCs. In our analysis, we find that the copper nanowire TCs are capable of achieving comparable electrical performance to silver nanowire TCs with similar dimensions. Lastly, we present a method for more accurately determining the nanowire area coverage in a TC over a large area using Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) to directly measure the metal content in the TCs. These developments will aid research and industry groups alike in the characterization of nanowire based TCs. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Contains calibration curve for %T vs. area fraction. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr03671b

Influence of gold species (AuCl4(-) and AuCl2(-)) on self-assembly of PS-b-P2VP in solutions and morphology of composite thin films fabricated at the air/liquid interfaces.

PubMed

Zhao, Xingjuan; Wang, Qian; Zhang, Xiaokai; Lee, Yong-Ill; Liu, Hong-Guo

2016-01-21

Composite thin films doped with Au species were fabricated at an air/liquid interface via a series of steps, including the mass transfer of polystyrene-b-poly(2-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P2VP) across the liquid/liquid interface between a DMF/CHCl3 solution and an aqueous solution containing either AuCl4(-) or AuCl2(-), self-assembly of PS-b-P2VP in a mixed DMF-water solution, and adsorption and further self-organization of the formed aggregates at the air/liquid interface. This is a new approach for fabricating composite polymer films and can be completed within a very short time. AuCl4(-) and AuCl2(-) ions were found to significantly influence the self-assembly behavior of the block copolymer and the morphologies of the composite films, leading to the formation of nanowire arrays and a foam structure at the air/liquid interface, respectively, which originated from rod-like micelles and microcapsules that had formed in the respective solutions. The effect of the metal complex was analyzed based on the packing parameters of the amphiphilic polymer molecules in different microenvironments and the interactions between the pyridine groups and the metal chloride anions. In addition, these composite thin films exhibited stable and durable performance as heterogeneous catalysts for the hydrogenation of nitroaromatics in aqueous solutions.

Using Ultrathin Parylene Films as an Organic Gate Insulator in Nanowire Field-Effect Transistors.

PubMed

Gluschke, J G; Seidl, J; Lyttleton, R W; Carrad, D J; Cochrane, J W; Lehmann, S; Samuelson, L; Micolich, A P

2018-06-27

We report the development of nanowire field-effect transistors featuring an ultrathin parylene film as a polymer gate insulator. The room temperature, gas-phase deposition of parylene is an attractive alternative to oxide insulators prepared at high temperatures using atomic layer deposition. We discuss our custom-built parylene deposition system, which is designed for reliable and controlled deposition of <100 nm thick parylene films on III-V nanowires standing vertically on a growth substrate or horizontally on a device substrate. The former case gives conformally coated nanowires, which we used to produce functional Ω-gate and gate-all-around structures. These give subthreshold swings as low as 140 mV/dec and on/off ratios exceeding 10 3 at room temperature. For the gate-all-around structure, we developed a novel fabrication strategy that overcomes some of the limitations with previous lateral wrap-gate nanowire transistors. Finally, we show that parylene can be deposited over chemically treated nanowire surfaces, a feature generally not possible with oxides produced by atomic layer deposition due to the surface "self-cleaning" effect. Our results highlight the potential for parylene as an alternative ultrathin insulator in nanoscale electronic devices more broadly, with potential applications extending into nanobioelectronics due to parylene's well-established biocompatible properties.

Feasibility Study of Extended-Gate-Type Silicon Nanowire Field-Effect Transistors for Neural Recording

PubMed Central

Kang, Hongki; Kim, Jee-Yeon; Choi, Yang-Kyu; Nam, Yoonkey

2017-01-01

In this research, a high performance silicon nanowire field-effect transistor (transconductance as high as 34 µS and sensitivity as 84 nS/mV) is extensively studied and directly compared with planar passive microelectrode arrays for neural recording application. Electrical and electrochemical characteristics are carefully characterized in a very well-controlled manner. We especially focused on the signal amplification capability and intrinsic noise of the transistors. A neural recording system using both silicon nanowire field-effect transistor-based active-type microelectrode array and platinum black microelectrode-based passive-type microelectrode array are implemented and compared. An artificial neural spike signal is supplied as input to both arrays through a buffer solution and recorded simultaneously. Recorded signal intensity by the silicon nanowire transistor was precisely determined by an electrical characteristic of the transistor, transconductance. Signal-to-noise ratio was found to be strongly dependent upon the intrinsic 1/f noise of the silicon nanowire transistor. We found how signal strength is determined and how intrinsic noise of the transistor determines signal-to-noise ratio of the recorded neural signals. This study provides in-depth understanding of the overall neural recording mechanism using silicon nanowire transistors and solid design guideline for further improvement and development. PMID:28350370

Feasibility Study of Extended-Gate-Type Silicon Nanowire Field-Effect Transistors for Neural Recording.

PubMed

Kang, Hongki; Kim, Jee-Yeon; Choi, Yang-Kyu; Nam, Yoonkey

2017-03-28

In this research, a high performance silicon nanowire field-effect transistor (transconductance as high as 34 µS and sensitivity as 84 nS/mV) is extensively studied and directly compared with planar passive microelectrode arrays for neural recording application. Electrical and electrochemical characteristics are carefully characterized in a very well-controlled manner. We especially focused on the signal amplification capability and intrinsic noise of the transistors. A neural recording system using both silicon nanowire field-effect transistor-based active-type microelectrode array and platinum black microelectrode-based passive-type microelectrode array are implemented and compared. An artificial neural spike signal is supplied as input to both arrays through a buffer solution and recorded simultaneously. Recorded signal intensity by the silicon nanowire transistor was precisely determined by an electrical characteristic of the transistor, transconductance. Signal-to-noise ratio was found to be strongly dependent upon the intrinsic 1/f noise of the silicon nanowire transistor. We found how signal strength is determined and how intrinsic noise of the transistor determines signal-to-noise ratio of the recorded neural signals. This study provides in-depth understanding of the overall neural recording mechanism using silicon nanowire transistors and solid design guideline for further improvement and development.

Alloy-assisted deposition of three-dimensional arrays of atomic gold catalyst for crystal growth studies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fang, Yin; Jiang, Yuanwen; Cherukara, Mathew J.

Large-scale assembly of individual atoms over smooth surfaces is difficult to achieve. A configuration of an atom reservoir, in which individual atoms can be readily extracted, may successfully address this challenge. In this work, we demonstrate that a liquid gold-silicon alloy established in classical vapor-liquid-solid growth can deposit ordered and three-dimensional rings of isolated gold atoms over silicon nanowire sidewalls. Here, we perform ab initio molecular dynamics simulation and unveil a surprising single atomic gold-catalyzed chemical etching of silicon. Experimental verification of this catalytic process in silicon nanowires yields dopant-dependent, massive and ordered 3D grooves with spacing down to similarmore » to 5 nm. Finally, we use these grooves as self-labeled and ex situ markers to resolve several complex silicon growths, including the formation of nodes, kinks, scale-like interfaces, and curved backbones.« less

Hybrid Nanowire Ion-to-Electron Transducers for Integrated Bioelectronic Circuitry.

PubMed

Carrad, D J; Mostert, A B; Ullah, A R; Burke, A M; Joyce, H J; Tan, H H; Jagadish, C; Krogstrup, P; Nygård, J; Meredith, P; Micolich, A P

2017-02-08

A key task in the emerging field of bioelectronics is the transduction between ionic/protonic and electronic signals at high fidelity. This is a considerable challenge since the two carrier types exhibit intrinsically different physics and are best supported by very different materials types-electronic signals in inorganic semiconductors and ionic/protonic signals in organic or bio-organic polymers, gels, or electrolytes. Here we demonstrate a new class of organic-inorganic transducing interface featuring semiconducting nanowires electrostatically gated using a solid proton-transporting hygroscopic polymer. This model platform allows us to study the basic transducing mechanisms as well as deliver high fidelity signal conversion by tapping into and drawing together the best candidates from traditionally disparate realms of electronic materials research. By combining complementary n- and p-type transducers we demonstrate functional logic with significant potential for scaling toward high-density integrated bioelectronic circuitry.

Solution-processed parallel tandem polymer solar cells using silver nanowires as intermediate electrode.

PubMed

Guo, Fei; Kubis, Peter; Li, Ning; Przybilla, Thomas; Matt, Gebhard; Stubhan, Tobias; Ameri, Tayebeh; Butz, Benjamin; Spiecker, Erdmann; Forberich, Karen; Brabec, Christoph J

2014-12-23

Tandem architecture is the most relevant concept to overcome the efficiency limit of single-junction photovoltaic solar cells. Series-connected tandem polymer solar cells (PSCs) have advanced rapidly during the past decade. In contrast, the development of parallel-connected tandem cells is lagging far behind due to the big challenge in establishing an efficient interlayer with high transparency and high in-plane conductivity. Here, we report all-solution fabrication of parallel tandem PSCs using silver nanowires as intermediate charge collecting electrode. Through a rational interface design, a robust interlayer is established, enabling the efficient extraction and transport of electrons from subcells. The resulting parallel tandem cells exhibit high fill factors of ∼60% and enhanced current densities which are identical to the sum of the current densities of the subcells. These results suggest that solution-processed parallel tandem configuration provides an alternative avenue toward high performance photovoltaic devices.