Method Of Selective Synthesis Of Nanomaterials

Abstract

The unique electrical, mechanical and optical properties of nanowires and nanotubes makes them attractive in a variety of applications. However, a significant obstacle to the application of these nanostructures is the difficulty in handling, maneuvering and integrating them with microelectronics to form a complete system. In particular, current synthesis processes for silicon nanowires and carbon nanotubes require high temperatures that can damage the microelectronics on which the nanostructures are being synthesized.

To solve these problems, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley have developed a process for synthesizing nanostructures at a specified location inside a room-temperature chamber. This localized selective synthesis process can directly integrate either silicon nanowires or carbon nanotubes with larger-scale systems, such as foundry-based microelectronics, and it eliminates the need for subsequent assembly processes.

This innovative approach is based on localized resistive heating of suspended microstructures to activate vapor-deposition synthesis, and it yields either silicon nanowires or carbon nanotubes. The process has synthesized nanowires that grow at 1 ?m/min, are 30-80 nm in diameter, and up to 10 ?m in length; and the process has synthesized nanotubes that grow at 0.25 ?m/min, are 10-50 nm in diameter and up to 5 ?m in length.

Applications

The integration of nanostructures with larger-scale systems.

Advantages

Localized, selective and scalable
Occurs at room-temperature
Eliminates post-synthesis assembly of nanostructures

Patent Status