Methods of fabricating nanostructures and nanowires and devices fabricated therefrom
First Claim
1. A nanowire, comprising:
- a first segment of a first material; and
a second segment of a second material joined to said first segment;
wherein at least one of said segments has a substantially uniform diameter of less than approximately 200 nm; and
wherein said nanowire is selected from a population of nanowires having a substantially monodisperse distribution of diameters.
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Abstract
One-dimensional nanostructures having uniform diameters of less than approximately 200 nm. These inventive nanostructures, which we refer to as “nanowires”, include single-crystalline homostructures as well as heterostructures of at least two single-crystalline materials having different chemical compositions. Because single-crystalline materials are used to form the heterostructure, the resultant heterostructure will be single-crystalline as well. The nanowire heterostructures are generally based on a semiconducting wire wherein the doping and composition are controlled in either the longitudinal or radial directions, or in both directions, to yield a wire that comprises different materials. Examples of resulting nanowire heterostructures include a longitudinal heterostructure nanowire (LOHN) and a coaxial heterostructure nanowire (COHN).
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Citations
262 Claims
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1. A nanowire, comprising:
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a first segment of a first material; and
a second segment of a second material joined to said first segment;
wherein at least one of said segments has a substantially uniform diameter of less than approximately 200 nm; and
wherein said nanowire is selected from a population of nanowires having a substantially monodisperse distribution of diameters. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 115, 116, 117, 118, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 143, 147, 164, 165, 166, 168, 169, 171, 172, 173, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179, 180, 181, 182, 183, 184, 185, 186, 187, 188, 189, 190, 191, 192, 193, 194, 195, 196, 197, 198, 199)
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2. A nanowire, comprising:
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a first segment of a first material; and
a second segment of a second material joined to said first segment;
wherein at least one of said segments has a substantially uniform diameter of less than approximately 200 nm; and
wherein said nanowire is selected from a population of nanowires having a substantially monodisperse distribution of lengths.
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3. A nanowire, comprising:
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a first segment of a first material; and
a second segment of a second material joined to said first segment;
said nanowire displaying characteristics selected from the group consisting essentially of electronic properties, optical properties, physical properties, magnetic properties and chemical properties that are modified relative to the bulk characteristics of said first and second materials by quantum confinement effects.
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4. A nanowire, comprising:
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a first segment of a first material; and
a second segment of a second material joined to said first segment;
said nanowire having at least one electronic property that varies as a function of diameter of said nanowire. - View Dependent Claims (5)
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6. A nanowire, comprising:
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a first segment of a substantially crystalline material; and
a second segment of a substantially crystalline material joined to said first segment;
wherein at least one of said segments has a substantially uniform diameter of less than approximately 200 nm. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
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10. A nanowire, comprising:
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a first segment of a substantially crystalline material; and
a second segment of a compositionally different material joined to said first segment;
wherein at least one of said segments has a substantially uniform diameter of less than approximately 200 nm. - View Dependent Claims (11, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20)
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12. A nanowire, comprising:
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a first segment of semiconductor material; and
a second segment of semiconductor material joined to said first segment;
wherein at least one of said segments has a substantially uniform diameter of less than approximately 200 nm.
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16. A nanowire, comprising:
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a first segment of doped semiconductor material; and
a second segment of doped semiconductor material joined to said first segment;
wherein at least one of said segments has a substantially uniform diameter of less than approximately 200 nm.
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19. A nanowire, comprising:
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a first segment of a substantially crystalline material; and
a second segment of a compositionally different material joined to said first segment;
wherein said nanowire transitions from said first segment to said second segment over a distance ranging from approximately one atomic layer to approximately 20 nm; and
wherein at least one of said segments has a substantially uniform diameter of less than approximately 200 nm.
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21. A nanowire, comprising:
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a first segment of a substantially crystalline material; and
a second segment of a substantially crystalline material joined to said first segment;
wherein said nanowire transitions from said first segment to said second segment over a distance ranging from approximately one atomic layer to approximately 20 nm; and
wherein at least one of said segments has a substantially uniform diameter of less than approximately 200 nm. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29)
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26. A nanowire, comprising:
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a first segment of semiconductor material; and
a second segment of semiconductor material joined to said first segment;
wherein said nanowire transitions from said first segment to said second segment over a distance ranging from approximately one atomic layer to approximately 20 nm; and
wherein at least one of said segments has a substantially uniform diameter of less than approximately 200 nm.
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30. A nanowire, comprising:
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a first segment of doped semiconductor material; and
a second segment of doped semiconductor material joined to said first segment;
wherein said nanowire transitions from said first segment to said second segment over a distance ranging from approximately one atomic layer to approximately 20 nm; and
wherein at least one of said segments has a substantially uniform diameter of less than approximately 200 nm. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32)
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33. A nanowire, comprising:
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a first segment of a substantially crystalline material; and
a second segment of a compositionally different material joined to said first segment;
wherein said nanowire transitions from said first segment to said second segment over a distance ranging from approximately one atomic layer to approximately 20 nm;
wherein transition from said first segment to said second segment begins at a point toward said second segment where the composition of said first segment has decreased to approximately 99% of the composition of said first segment at the center of said first segment; and
wherein at least one of said segments has a substantially uniform diameter of less than approximately 200 nm. - View Dependent Claims (34, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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35. A nanowire, comprising:
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a first segment of a substantially crystalline material; and
a second segment of a substantially crystalline material joined to said first segment;
wherein said nanowire transitions from said first segment to said second segment over a distance ranging from approximately one atomic layer to approximately 20 nm;
wherein transition from said first segment to said second segment begins at a point toward said second segment where the composition of said first segment has decreased to approximately 99% of the composition of said first segment at the center of said first segment;
wherein at least one of said segments has a diameter of less than approximately 200 nm; and
wherein the diameter of said at least one of said segments having a diameter of less than approximately 200 nm does not vary by more than approximately 10% over the length of said segment.
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40. A nanowire, comprising:
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a first segment of semiconductor material; and
a second segment of semiconductor material joined to said first segment;
wherein said nanowire transitions from said first segment to said second segment over a distance ranging from approximately one atomic layer to approximately 20 nm;
wherein transition from said first segment to said second segment begins at a point toward said second segment where the composition of said first segment has decreased to approximately 99% of the composition of said first segment at the center of said first segment;
wherein at least one of said segments has a diameter of less than approximately 200 nm; and
wherein the diameter of said at least one of said segments having a diameter of less than approximately 200 nm does not vary by more than approximately 10% over the length of said segment. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43)
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44. A nanowire, comprising:
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a first segment of doped semiconductor material; and
a second segment of doped semiconductor material joined to said first segment;
wherein said nanowire transitions from said first segment to said second segment over a distance ranging from approximately one atomic layer to approximately 20 nm;
wherein transition from said first segment to said second segment begins at a point toward said second segment where the composition of said first segment has decreased to approximately 99% of the composition of the first segment at the center of said first segment;
wherein at least one of said segments has a diameter of less than approximately 200 nm; and
wherein the diameter of said at least one of said segments having a diameter of less than approximately 200 nm does not vary by more than approximately 10% over the length of said segment. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46)
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89. A nanowire as recited in 88, wherein said nanowire is in ohmic contact with said second nanowire.
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114. A nanowire, comprising:
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a first segment of a first material;
a second segment of a second material joined to said first segment; and
a third segment of a third material joined to at least one of said first and second segments;
wherein at least one of said segments has a substantially uniform diameter of less than approximately 200 nm;
wherein at least two of said materials comprise compositionally different materials; and
wherein at least two of said segments are adjacent. - View Dependent Claims (119, 142)
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144. A method of fabricating a nanowire, comprising:
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dissolving a first gas reactant in a catalytic liquid followed by growth of a first segment; and
dissolving a second gas reactant in said catalytic liquid followed by growth of a second compositionally different segment joined to said first segment;
wherein at least one of said segments has a substantially uniform diameter of less than approximately 200 nm. - View Dependent Claims (145, 146, 148)
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149. A method as recited in 144, wherein said catalytic liquid is formed from a preformed metal colloid.
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150. A method as recited in 149, wherein said metal colloid is part of a population of metal colloids with a substantially monodisperse distribution of diameters.
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151. A method of fabricating a nanowire, comprising:
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dissolving a gas reactant in a catalytic liquid followed by growth of a first segment; and
coating said first segment with a compositionally different second material and forming a second segment;
wherein at least one of said segments has a substantially uniform diameter of less than approximately 200 nm. - View Dependent Claims (152)
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153. A method as recited in 151, wherein said catalytic liquid is formed from a preformed metal colloid.
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154. A method as recited in 153, wherein said metal colloid is part of a population of metal colloids with a substantially monodisperse distribution of diameters.
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155. A method of fabricating a nanowire, comprising:
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forming a first segment by dissolving a first gas reactant in a catalytic liquid followed by growth of a first material;
forming a second segment joined to said first segment by dissolving a second gas reactant in said catalytic liquid followed by growth of a second material joined to said first material;
wherein each said segment forms upon saturation of said liquid alloy with a species of said corresponding gas reactant; and
coating at least a portion of at least one of said segments with a third material to form a third segment;
wherein at least two of said materials are compositionally different; and
wherein at least one of said segments has a substantially uniform diameter of less than approximately 200 nm.
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156. A method of fabricating a nanowire, comprising:
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dissolving a first gas reactant in a catalytic liquid followed by growth of a first segment of material;
dissolving a second gas reactant in said catalytic liquid followed by growth of a second segment of material joined to said first segment; and
dissolving a third gas reactant in said catalytic liquid followed by growth of a third segment of material joined to said second segment;
wherein, said first, second and third segments are longitudinally adjacent;
wherein said second segment is positioned between said first and third segments;
wherein at least two of said segments comprise compositionally different materials; and
wherein at least one of said segments has a substantially uniform diameter of less than approximately 200 nm. - View Dependent Claims (157, 158, 159)
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160. A method of fabricating a nanowire heterostructure, comprising:
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dissolving a first gas reactant in a catalytic liquid followed by growth of a first segment of a first material; and
dissolving a second gas reactant in said catalytic liquid followed by growth of a second segment of compositionally different second material longitudinally adjacent to said first material;
wherein said second gas reactant comprises a vapor generated by laser ablation of a growth species;
wherein a compositionally dissimilar liquid alloy is formed from each said gas reactant and said catalytic liquid; and
wherein each said segment forms upon saturation of said liquid alloy with a species of said corresponding gas reactant;
wherein said second material comprises a combination of said species in said first and second gas reactants;
and wherein at lest one of said segments has a substantially uniform diameter of less than approximately 200 nm.
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161. A method of fabricating a nanowire, comprising:
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dissolving a first gas reactant in a catalytic liquid followed by growth of a first segment of a first material;
sequentially laser ablating a growth species in the presence of said first gas reactant thereby forming a second gas reactant;
dissolving said second gas reactant in said catalytic liquid followed by growth of a second segment of a compositionally different second material longitudinally adjacent to said first material;
wherein said second material comprises a combination of species in said first and second gas reactants;
wherein at least one of said segments has a substantially uniform diameter of less than approximately 200 nm. - View Dependent Claims (162)
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163. A method of fabricating a doped semiconductor superlattice nanowire, comprising:
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introducing a gas reactant into a reaction chamber of a furnace containing a substrate coated with a reactant metal;
heating said reaction chamber to a temperature at which said metal on said substrate liquefies into at least one droplet;
dissolving said gas reactant into said liquid droplet until saturation where nucleation and growth of a first segment; and
dissolving a dopant and said gas reactant into said liquid droplet until saturation wherein nucleation and growth of a doped second segment occurs on said first segment;
wherein at least one of said segments has a substantially uniform diameter of less than approximately 200 nm. - View Dependent Claims (167)
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170. A method of fabricating an Si/SiGe superlattice nanowire heterostructure, comprising:
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depositing Au on a substrate;
placing said substrate inside a quartz furnace reaction tube;
introducing a gas reactant mixture of H2 and SiCl4 into said reaction tube;
heating said reaction tube to a temperature at which said Au liquefies into at least one nanosized droplet of an Au—
Si alloy; and
dissolving said gas reactant into said liquid droplet until saturation where nucleation and growth of a Si segment occurs;
during said Si growth process, generating a Ge vapor through ablation of a Ge target with a laser;
depositing both Ge and Si species into said Au—
Si alloy droplets until saturation wherein nucleation and growth of a SiGe segment occurs on said Si segment;
wherein at least one of said segments has a substantially uniform diameter of less than approximately 200 nm.
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200. A laser, comprising:
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a nanowire having a substantially uniform diameter of less than approximately 200 nm; and
a pumping source. - View Dependent Claims (201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206, 207, 208, 209, 210, 211, 212, 226, 227, 228, 229, 230, 231, 232, 235, 246)
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213. A laser, comprising:
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a plurality of longitudinally adjacent segments of compositionally different materials forming a nanowire;
at least one of said segments having a substantially uniform diameter of less than approximately 200 nm; and
a pumping source. - View Dependent Claims (214)
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215. A laser, comprising:
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a nanowire with substantially faceted ends with a flat face oriented substantially normal to the longitudinal growth axis of said nanowire, having a substantially uniform diameter of less than approximately 200 nm; and
a pumping source.
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216. A laser, comprising:
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a plurality of longitudinally adjacent segments of compositionally different materials forming a nanowire;
at least one of said segments having a substantially uniform diameter of less than approximately 200 nm; and
a pumping source for exciting a population inversion in said nanowire.
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217. A laser, comprising:
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a nanowire having a substantially uniform diameter of less than approximately 200 nm; and
a pumping source;
wherein emission from said laser is directed away from said nanowire in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of said nanowire. - View Dependent Claims (218, 219)
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220. A laser, comprising:
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a nanowire having a substantially uniform diameter of less than approximately 200 nm;
a plurality of quantum dots disposed in said nanowire; and
a pumping source. - View Dependent Claims (221, 222, 224, 233, 234, 236, 237, 238, 239, 240, 241, 242, 243, 244, 245, 247, 249, 250, 251, 252, 253, 254, 255, 256, 257, 258, 259, 260, 262)
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223. A laser, comprising:
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a plurality of longitudinally adjacent segments of compositionally different materials forming a nanowire;
at least one of said segments having a substantially uniform diameter of less than approximately 200 nm;
a plurality of quantum dots disposed in said nanowire; and
a pumping source.
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225. A laser, comprising:
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a plurality of longitudinally adjacent segments of compositionally different materials forming a nanowire;
at least one of said segments having a substantially uniform diameter of less than approximately 200 nm;
a plurality of quantum dots disposed in said nanowire; and
a pumping source for exciting a population inversion in said quantum dots.
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248. A laser, comprising:
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a multi-faceted, single-crystalline, ZnO nanostructure having a substantially uniform diameter of less than approximately 200 nm;
said nanostructure having first and second ends;
said first end comprising an epitaxial interface between said nanostructure and a sapphire substrate from which said nanostructure extends;
said first and second ends having corresponding reflective faces;
wherein said nanostructure functions as a resonant cavity between said end faces.
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261. A laser cavity, comprising:
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a semiconductor structure capable of exhibiting quantum confinement effects;
wherein said semiconductor structure comprises a laser cavity.
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Specification