Fabrication of Nanowire Channels with Unidirectional Alignment and Controlled Length by a Simple,Gas‐Blowing‐Assisted,Selective‐Transfer‐Printing Technique

A printing‐based lithographic technique for the patterning of V₂O₅ nanowire channels with unidirectional orientation and controlled length is introduced. The simple, directional blowing of a patterned polymer stamp with N₂ gas, inked with randomly distributed V₂O₅ nanowires, induces alignment of the nanowires perpendicular to the long axis of the line patterns. Subsequent stamping on the amine‐terminated surface results in the selective transfer of the aligned nanowires with a controlled length corresponding to the width of the relief region of the polymer stamp. By employing such a gas‐blowing‐assisted, selective‐transfer‐printing technique, two kinds of device structures consisting of nanowire channels and two metal electrodes with top contact, whereby the nanowires were aligned either parallel (parallel device) or perpendicular (serial device) to the current flow in the conduction channel, are fabricated. The electrical properties demonstrate a noticeable difference between the two devices, with a large hysteresis in the parallel device but none in the serial device. Systematic analysis of the hysteresis and the electrical stability account for the observed hysteresis in terms of the proton diffusion in the water layer of the V₂O₅ nanowires, induced by the application of an external bias voltage higher than a certain threshold voltage.     

Bipolar Resistive Switching of Single Gold-in-Ga(2)O(3) Nanowire

We have fabricated single nanowire chips on gold-in-Ga(2)O(3) core-shell nanowires using the electron-beam lithography techniques and realized bipolar resistive switching characteristics having invariable set and reset voltages. We attribute the unique property of invariance to the built-in conduction path of gold core. This invariance allows us to fabricate many resistive switching cells with the same operating voltage by simple depositing repetitive metal electrodes along a single nanowire. Other characteristics of these core-shell resistive switching nanowires include comparable driving electric field with other thin film and nanowire devices and a remarkable on/off ratio more than 3 orders of magnitude at a low driving voltage of 2 V. A smaller but still impressive on/off ratio of 10 can be obtained at an even lower bias of 0.2 V. These characteristics of gold-in-Ga(2)O(3) core-shell nanowires make fabrication of future high-density resistive memory devices possible.     

P-Cu2O/n-ZnO nanowires on ITO glass for solar cells

In this paper, the fabrication and characterization of a heterojunction solar cell based on p-Cu2O/n-ZnO nanowires on ITO glass are presented. ZnO aligned nanocrystal seed layer is firstly prepared by RF magnetron sputtering technique, and then vertical ZnO nanowire arrays with an acicular crystal structure are obtained by using a chemical bath deposition processing. The results indicate that the ZnO nanowires with a diameter of about 50 nm and 500 nm in length can be easily obtained. The absorption and transmittance of the ZnO nanowires are studied. It is also noted that the Cu2O can fill well into the space between ZnO nanowires by an electrodeposition process. Furthermore, the effect of the Cu2O orientation on the cell performance is also presented.     

Strain-controlled growth of nanowires within thin-film cracks

There is continued interest in finding quicker and simpler ways to fabricate nanowires, even though research groups have been investigating possibilities for the past decade. There are two reasons for this interest: first, nanowires have unusual properties-for example, they show quantum-mechanical confinement effects, they have a very high surface-to-volume ratio, enabling them to be used as sensors, and they have the ability to connect to individual molecules. Second, no simple method has yet been found to fabricate nanowires over large areas in arbitrary material combinations. Here we describe an approach to the generation of well-defined nanowire network structures on almost any solid material, up to macroscopic sample sizes. We form the nanowires within cracks in a thin film. Such cracks have a number of properties that make them attractive as templates for nanowire formation: they are straight, scalable down to nanometre size, and can be aligned (by using microstructure to give crack alignment via strain). We demonstrate the production of nanowires with diameter <16 nm, both singly and as networks; we have also produced aligned patterns of nanowires, and nanowires with individual contacts.     

High-performance transparent conducting oxide nanowires

We report the growth and characterization of single-crystalline Sn-doped In2O3 (ITO) and Mo-doped In2O3 (IMO) nanowires. Epitaxial growth of vertically aligned ITO nanowire arrays was achieved on ITO/yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) substrates. Optical transmittance and electrical transport measurements show that these nanowires are high-performance transparent metallic conductors with transmittance of approximately 85% in the visible range, resistivities as low as 6.29 x 10(-5) Omega x cm and failure-current densities as high as 3.1 x 10(7) A/cm2. Such nanowires will be suitable in a wide range of applications including organic light-emitting devices, solar cells, and field emitters. In addition, we demonstrate the growth of branched nanowire structures in which semiconducting In2O3 nanowire arrays with variable densities were grown epitaxially on metallic ITO nanowire backbones.     

Dielectrophoretically controlled fabrication of single-crystal nickel silicide nanowire interconnects

We report here on applying electric fields and dielectric media to achieve controlled alignment of single-crystal nickel silicide nanowires between two electrodes. Depending on the concentration of nanowire suspension and the distribution of electrical field, various configurations of nanowire interconnects, such as single, chained, and branched nanowires were aligned between the electrodes. Several alignment mechanisms, including the induced charge layer on the electrode surface, nanowire dipole-dipole interactions, and an enhanced local electrical field surrounding the aligned nanowires are proposed to explain these novel dielectrophoretic phenomena of one-dimensional nanostructures. This study demonstrates the promising potential of dielectrophoresis for constructing nanoscale interconnects using metallic nanowires as building blocks.     

Self-organized Ce(1-x)Gd(x)O(2-y) nanowire networks with very fast coarsening driven by attractive elastic interactions

Assembling arrays of ordered nanowires is a key objective for many of their potential applications. However, a lack of understanding and control of the nanowires' growth mechanisms limits their thorough development. In this work, an appealing new path towards self-organized epitaxial nanowire networks produced by high-throughput solution methods is reported. Two requisites are identified to generate the nanowires: a thermodynamic driving force for an unrestricted elongated equilibrium island shape, and a very fast effective coarsening rate. These requirements are met in anisotropically strained Ce(1-x)Gd(x)O(2-y) nanowires with the (011) orientation grown on the (001) surface of LaAlO(3) substrates. Nanowires with aspect ratios above ≈100 oriented along two mutually orthogonal axes are obtained leading to labyrinthine networks. A very fast effective nanowire growth rate (≈60 nm min(-1)) for ex-situ thermally annealed nanostructures derives from simultaneous kinetic processes occurring in a branched network. Ostwald ripening and anisotropic dynamic coalescence, both promoted by strain-driven attractive nanowire interaction, and rapid recrystallization, enabled by fast atomic diffusion associated with a high concentration of oxygen vacancies, contribute to such an effective growth rate. This bottom-up approach to self-organized nanowire growth has a wide potential for many materials and functionalities.     

Template-based fabrication of nanowire-nanotube hybrid arrays

The fabrication and structure characterization of ordered nanowire-nanotube hybrid arrays embedded in porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes are reported. Arrays of TiO(2) nanotubes were first deposited into the pores of AAO membranes by a sol-gel technique. Co?nanowires were then electrochemically deposited into the TiO(2) nanotubes to form the nanowire-nanotube hybrid arrays. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy measurements showed a high nanowire filling factor and a clean interface between the Co nanowire and the TiO(2) nanotube. Application of these hybrids to the fabrication of ordered nanowire arrays with highly controllable geometric parameters is discussed.     

Ultra-fast microwave-assisted hydrothermal synthesis of long vertically aligned ZnO nanowires for dye-sensitized solar cell application

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.     

Synthesis and enhanced photocatalytic activity of regularly shaped Cu2O nanowire polyhedra

A series of unique nanowire superstructures, Cu2O nanowire polyhedra, have been synthesized through a cost-effective hydrothermal route. Three types of nanowire polyhedra, namely octahedra, concave octahedra, and hexapods, were formed in high morphological yields (90%) by reducing cupric acetate with o-anisidine or o-phenetidine in the presence of carboxylic acids. The architectures of these Cu₂O nanowire polyhedra were examined by electron microscopy, which revealed ordered, highly aligned Cu₂O nanowires within the polyhedral outlines. The growth of the Cu₂O nanowire polyhedra is controlled by the orientation and growth rates of the nanowire branches which are adjusted by addition of carboxylic acids. Compared to the Cu₂O samples reported in the recent literature, the Cu₂O nanowire octahedra exhibit notably enhanced photocatalytic activities for dye degradation in the presence of H₂O₂ under visible light, probably due to the high-density charge carriers photoexcited from the branched nanowires with their special structures. Additionally, the discussion in the recent literature of the photocatalytic activity of Cu₂O in the absence of H₂O₂ for direct photodegradation of dyes seems questionable.     

Replication of a thin polydimethylsiloxane stamp and its application to dual-nanoimprint lithography for 3D hybrid nano/micropatterns

This paper presents the fabrication of a thin and flexible polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) stamp with a thickness of a few tens of um and its application to nanoimprint lithography (NIL). The PDMS material generally has a low elastic modulus and high adhesive characteristics. Therefore, after being treated, the thin PDMS stamp is easily deformed and torn, adhering to itself and other materials. This paper introduces the use of a metal ring around the flange of a thin PDMS stamp to assist with the handling of this material. A PDMS stamp with a motheye pattern in nanometer scale was inserted between a substrate and a microstamp with concave patterns in micrometer scale. Subsequently, three-dimensional (3D) hybrid nano/micropatterns were fabricated by pressing these two stamps and curing the resist. The fabricated hybrid patterns were measured and verified in both the microscale and nanoscale. The process, termed "dual NIL," can be applied to the fabrication of optical components or bio-sensors that require repetitive nanopatterns on micropatterns.     

Hydrothermal synthesis of one-dimensional single-crystalline rutile TiO2 nanostructures and their application in dye-sensitized solar cells

One-dimensional (1D) TiO2 nanowire arrays are fabricated on transparent conducting substrates via a low temperature hydrothermal route for application in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The as-prepared sample on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate is found to be single-crystalline rutile TiO2 structures from X-ray and electron diffractions. The length and diameter of the nanowires depend mainly on the growth time and temperature. With increasing the reaction time, the growth rate becomes slower and the interface adhesion between the growth nanowires and the substrate becomes weaker. In the same time the adjacent nanowires aggregate to larger the apparent diameter of the nanowire making the gaps among the nanowires to disappear at last. The nanowires exhibit flower-like morphology on the non-conducting surface of FTO substrate. By using TiO2 nanowire arrays with 2 microm long on FTO substrate as the photoanode in DSSCs, an overall light conversion efficiency of 1.58% is achieved with an open circuit voltage of 0.714 V, a short circuit current density of 4.68 mA cm(-2), and a fill factor of 0.472.     

Tuning the crystallinity of thermoelectric Bi(2)Te(3) nanowire arrays grown by pulsed electrodeposition

Arrays of thermoelectric bismuth telluride (Bi(2)Te(3)) nanowires were grown into porous anodic alumina (PAA) membranes prepared by a two-step anodization. Bi(2)Te(3) nanowire arrays were deposited by galvanostatic, potentiostatic and pulsed electrodeposition from aqueous solution at room temperature. Depending on the electrodeposition method and as a consequence of different growth mechanisms, Bi(2)Te(3) nanowires exhibit different types of crystalline microstructure. Bi(2)Te(3) nanowire arrays, especially those grown by pulsed electrodeposition, have a highly oriented crystalline structure and were grown uniformly as compared to those grown by other electrodeposition techniques used. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses are indicative of the existence of a preferred growth orientation. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) confirm the formation of a preferred orientation and highly crystalline structure of the grown nanowires. The nanowires were further analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Energy dispersive x-ray spectrometry (EDX) indicates that the composition of Bi-Te nanowires can be controlled by the electrodeposition method and the relaxation time in the pulsed electrodeposition approach. The samples fabricated by pulsed electrodeposition were electrically characterized within the temperature range 240?K≤T≤470?K. Below T≈440?K, the nanowire arrays exhibited a semiconducting behavior. Depending on the relaxation time in the pulsed electrodeposition, the semiconductor energy gaps were estimated to be 210-290?meV. At higher temperatures, as a consequence of the enhanced carrier-phonon scattering, the measured electrical resistances increased slightly. The Seebeck coefficient was measured for every Bi(2)Te(3) sample at room temperature by a very simple method. All samples showed a positive value (12-33?μV?K(-1)), indicating a p-type semiconductor behavior.     

Gold-nanoparticle-functionalized In₂O₃ nanowires as CO gas sensors with a significant enhancement in response

We present the room-temperature sensing of gold nanoparticle (AuNP)-functionalized In(2)O(3) nanowire field-effect transistor (NW-FET) for low-concentration CO gas. AuNPs were functionalized onto In(2)O(3) nanowires via a self-assembled monolayer of p-aminophenyltrimethoxysilane (APhS-SAM). The nanowires were mounted onto the Au electrodes with both ends in Schottky contacts. High sensor response toward low concentration of CO gas (200 ppb-5 ppm) at room temperature is achieved. The presence of AuNPs on the surface of In(2)O(3) nanowire serves to enhance the CO oxidation due to a higher oxygen ion-chemisorption on the conductive AuNP surfaces. Detailed studies showed that the sensing capabilities were greatly enhanced in comparison to those of bare nanowires or low coverage of Au NP-decorated nanowires. When the sensor is exposed to CO, the CO molecules interact with the preadsorbed oxygen ions on the AuNP surface. The CO oxidation on the AuNPs leads to the transfer of electrons into the semiconducting In(2)O(3) nanowires and this is reflected as the change in conductance of the NW-FET sensor. This work provides a promising approach for fabricating nanowire devices with excellent sensing capabilities at room temperature.     

Growth of Zn(1_x)Mg(x)O and Zn(1_x)Cd(x)O nanowires and the application in light emitting devices

Magnesium and Cadmium doped ZnO nanowires were successfully grown by Chemical Vapor deposition method in a tube furnance. Photoluminescence spectra show that the band gap of ZnO nanowire has been tuned from 4.00 eV to 2.08 eV by Magnesium and Cadmium doping. Transmission Electron Microscopy and X-ray diffraction characterization analysis indicate that most of the formed nanowires are single crystalline with good quality. Zn(1-x)Cd(x)O nanowire sample was used for heterojunctional light emitting diode fabrication. Electroluminescence measurement yields a strong emission peak at 553 nm from the Zn(1-x)Cd(x)O nanowire.     

Vertically Aligned GaAs Nanowires on Graphite and Few-Layer Graphene: Generic Model and Epitaxial Growth

By utilizing the reduced contact area of nanowires, we show that epitaxial growth of a broad range of semiconductors on graphene can in principle be achieved. A generic atomic model is presented which describes the epitaxial growth configurations applicable to all conventional semiconductor materials. The model is experimentally verified by demonstrating the growth of vertically aligned GaAs nanowires on graphite and few-layer graphene by the self-catalyzed vapor-liquid-solid technique using molecular beam epitaxy. A two-temperature growth strategy was used to increase the nanowire density. Due to the self-catalyzed growth technique used, the nanowires were found to have a regular hexagonal cross-sectional shape, and are uniform in length and diameter. Electron microscopy studies reveal an epitaxial relationship of the grown nanowires with the underlying graphitic substrates. Two relative orientations of the nanowire side-facets were observed, which is well explained by the proposed atomic model. A prototype of a single GaAs nanowire photodetector demonstrates a high-quality material. With GaAs being a model system, as well as a very useful material for various optoelectronic applications, we anticipate this particular GaAs nanowire/graphene hybrid to be promising for flexible and low-cost solar cells.     

Conversion of a Bi nanowire array to an array of Bi-Bi2O3 core-shell nanowires and Bi2O3 nanotubes

A template-based heat-treatment method has been developed to convert metal nanowire arrays into arrays of metal-metal oxide core-shell nanowires and single-crystalline metal oxide nanotubes. This process is demonstrated by kinetically controlling the conversion of single-crystalline Bi nanowires to Bi-Bi(2)O(3) core-shell nanowires via a multistep, slow oxidation method, and then controlling their further conversion to a single-crystalline Bi(2)O(3) nanotube array via fast oxidation. This process can conveniently be extended to fabricate a free-standing, easily oxidized metal-metal oxide nanowire and metal oxide nanotube array, which may have future applications in nanoscale optics, electronics, and magnetics.     

Growth mechanism and elemental distribution of beta-Ga2O3 crystalline nanowires synthesized by cobalt-assisted chemical vapor deposition

Long beta-Ga2O3 crystalline nanowires are synthesized on patterned silicon substrates using chemical vapor deposition technique. Advanced electron microscopy indicates that the as-grown beta-Ga2O3 nanowires are consisted of poly-crystalline (Co, Ga)O tips and straight crystalline beta-Ga2O3 stems. The catalytic cobalt not only locates at the nanowire tips but diffuses into beta-Ga2O3 nanowire stems several ten nanometers. A solid diffusion growth mechanism is proposed based on the spatial elemental distribution along the beta-Ga2O3 nanowires at nanoscale.     

Low-temperature growth of well-aligned ZnO nanowire arrays by chemical bath deposition for hybrid solar cell application

Well-aligned ZnO nanowire arrays were grown on indium tin oxide coated glass substrates by a facile chemical bath deposition technique. Morphologies, crystalline structure and optical transmission were investigated by field-emission scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction and UV–visible transmission spectrum, respectively. The results showed that ZnO nanowires were aligned in a dense array approximately perpendicular to substrate surface, they were wurtzite-structured (hexagonal) ZnO. In addition, the nanowire arrays exhibited high optical transmission (>85 %) in the visible region. Furthermore, an inverted inorganic/polymer hybrid solar cell was built using as-grown well-aligned ZnO nanowire arrays as inorganic layer, under the AM 1.5 illumination with a light intensity of 80 mW/cm², the device showed an open circuit voltage (V_oc) of 0.44 V, a short circuit current (J_sc) of 3.23 mA/cm², a fill-factor of 38 %, and a power conversion efficiency of 0.68 %.     

Interface charge induced p-type characteristics of aligned Si(1-x)Gex nanowires

This study reports the electrical transport characteristics of Si(1-x)Gex (x=0-0.3) nanowires. Nanowires with diameters of 50-100 nm were grown on Si substrates. The valence band spectra from the nanowires indicate that energy band gap modulation is readily achievable using the Ge content. The structural characterization showed that the native oxide of the Si(1-x)Gex nanowires was dominated by SiO2; however, the interfaces between the nanowire and the SiO2 layer consisted of a mixture of Si and Ge oxides. The electrical characterization of a nanowire field effect transistor showed p-type behavior in all Si(1-x)Gex compositions due to the Ge-O and Si-O-Ge bonds at the interface and, accordingly, the accumulation of holes in the level filled with electrons. The interfacial bonds also dominate the mobility and on- and off-current ratio. The large interfacial area of the nanowire, together with the trapped negative interface charge, creates an appearance of p-type characteristics in the Si(1-x)Gex alloy system. Surface or interface structural control, as well as compositional modulation, would be critical in realizing high-performance Si(1-x)Gex nanowire devices.