M. Oye, J. Gacusan, O. Lenz, T. Ngo-Duc, J. Velazquez, E. Arreola, H. Jethani, M. Rohovie, B. Gigante, A. Kar, B. Kim, A. Hannon, A. Savvinov, Y. Lu, Ji. Li, M. Meyyappan
This paper presents our on-going nano-epitaxial efforts to grow tin oxide (SnO2), zinc oxide (ZnO), and lead
zirconate titanate (PZT) for nanotechnology-enhanced devices. The applicable devices involve piezoelectric energy
harvesting devices and nanomaterial-enhanced chemical sensors, with the Systems-level vision involving the
piezoelectric energy harvesting devices that could self-power chemical sensors for a stand-alone, self-powered device
that could harvest its own power from mechanical vibrations. To this end, device concepts are presented herein and
preliminary details for ZnO, SnO2, and PZT material synthesis are presented. The growth of nanowires and
nanotetrapods are presented for said device applications using vapor-liquid-solid (VLS), solution synthesis, as well as
the results from other synthesis processes. Characterization was done by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and
energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS).
As the nano-scale becomes a focus for engineering electronic, photonic, medical, and other important devices, an
unprecedented role for biomolecules is emerging to address one of the most formidable problems in nano-manufacturing:
precise manipulation and organization of matter on the nano-scale. Biomolecules are a solution to this problem because
they themselves are nanoscale particles with intrinsic properties that allow them to precisely self-assemble and self-organize
into the amazing diversity of structures observed in nature. Indeed, there is ample evidence that the combination
of molecular recognition and self-assembly combined with mutation, selection, and replication have the potential to
create structures that could truly revolutionize manufacturing processes in many sectors of industry. Genetically
engineered biomolecules are already being used to make the next generation of nano-scale templates, nano-detailed
masks, and molecular scaffolds for the future manufacturing of electronic devices, medical diagnostic tools, and
chemical engineering interfaces. Here we present an example of this type of technology by showing how a protein can be
genetically modified to form a new structure and coated with metal to lead the way to producing "nano-wires," which
may ultimately become the basis for self-assembled circuitry.
A nanosensor technology has been developed using nanostructures, such as single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and metal oxides nanowires or nanobelts, on a pair of interdigitated electrodes (IDE) processed with a siliconbased microfabrication and micromachining technique. The IDE fingers were fabricated using thin film metallization techniques. Both in-situ growth of nanostructure materials and casting of the nanostructure dispersions were used to make chemical sensing devices. These sensors have been exposed to hazardous gases and vapors, such as acetone, benzene, chlorine, and ammonia in the concentration range of ppm to ppb at room temperature. The electronic molecular sensing in our sensor platform can be understood by electron modulation between the nanostructure engineered device and gas molecules. As a result of the electron modulation, the conductance of nanodevice will change. Due to the large surface area, low surface energy barrier and high thermal and mechanical stability, nanostructured chemical sensors potentially can offer higher sensitivity, lower power consumption and better robustness than the state-of-the-art systems, which make them more attractive for defense and space applications. Combined with MEMS technology, light weight and compact size sensors can be made in wafer scale with low cost.
Conference Committee Involvement (2)
Nanomaterial Synthesis and Integration for Sensors, Electronics, Photonics, and Electro-Optics
1 October 2006 | Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Nanostructure Integration Techniques for Manufacturable Devices, Circuits, and Systems: Interfaces, Interconnects, and Nanosystems
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