Multicomponent nanorods

• US 20070077429A1
• Filed: 06/30/2005
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Northwestern University
• Original Assignee: Northwestern University
• Inventors: Huang, Ling, Park, Sungho, Chung, Sung-Wook, Mirkin, Chad, Qin, Lidong
• Granted Patent: US 7,422,696 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/402
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 5/00 Nanobiotechnology or nanomedicine, e.g. protein engineering or drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/531 Production of immunochemical test materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01C 17/06513 characterised by the resistive component
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/0665 the shape of the body defining a nanostructure nanotechnology per se B82B
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/0673 oriented parallel to a substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/068 comprising a junction
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/861 Diodes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/762 Nanowire or quantum wire, i.e. axially elongated structure having two dimensions of 100 nm or less
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/81 Of specified metal or metal alloy composition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/849 with scanning probe
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/856 including etching/cutting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/857 including coating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2938 Coating on discrete and individual rods, strands or filaments
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2982 Particulate matter [e.g., sphere, flake, etc.]

Abstract

Multicomponent nanorods having segments with differing electronic and/or chemical properties are disclosed. The nanorods can be tailored with high precision to create controlled gaps within the nanorods or to produce diodes or resistors, based upon the identities of the components-making up the segments of the nanorods. Macrostructural composites of these nanorods also are disclosed.

Claims

1. A multicomponent nanorod comprising discrete segments of a polymer and a metal, and optionally one or more segments of a semiconductor, of a metal with low work function, or both.

2. The multicomponent nanorod of claim 1 wherein the polymer comprises polypyrrole, polyaniline, polythiophene, poly(ethylenedioxy)thiophene, polyvinylphosphate, or a combination thereof, wherein aryl groups of the polymer can be optionally substituted.

3. The multicomponent-nanorod of claim 1 wherein the semiconductor is selected from the group consisting of cadmium selenide, zinc selenide, cadmium telluride, zinc telluride, cadmium-tellurium selenide, copper-indium selenide, copper oxide, copper sulfide, silicon, germanium, compounds and alloys of silicon and germanium, gallium arsenide, gallium phosphide, gallium nitride, cadmium sulfide, zinc sulfide, titanium oxide, zinc oxide, tungsten oxide, molybdenum oxide, titanium sulfide, or mixtures thereof.

4. The multicomponent nanorod of claim 1 having a length of about 100 nm to about 50 μ

m.

5. A resistor comprising multicomponent nanorods of claim 1.

6. A diode comprising multicomponent nanorods of claim 1.

7. The multicomponent nanorod of claim 1 wherein the discrete segments of polymer and metal are arranged such that hydrophobic segments are in one region of the nanorod and hydrophilic segments are in a second region of the nanorod.

8. An aggregate comprising the multicomponent nanorods of claim 7 wherein the hydrophobic ends of the nanorods are aligned or the hydrophilic ends of the nanorods are aligned.

9. A method of manufacturing a multicomponent nanorod comprising the steps of:

a) providing a template;

b) depositing a segment of a metal onto the template using electrochemical deposition, and controlling the amount of the metal deposited by monitoring the amount of charge passed during the electrochemical deposition;

c) depositing a segment of a polymer to the metal segment deposited in step (b) by;

i) contacting the template with a monomer solution of the polymer;

ii) subjecting the solution and the template to a potential to polymerize said monomer and produce said polymer; and

iii) controlling the amount of polymer deposited by monitoring the amount of charge passed in step (ii);

d) optionally repeating steps (b) and (c);

e) depositing another segment of the metal; and

f) removing the multicomponent nanorod from the template.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of depositing a segment of a semiconductor.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of depositing a segment of a metal of low work function.

12. A lithographic process for producing a nanowire comprising the steps of:

a) providing a nanorod comprising alternating segments of a metal and a sacrificial metal;

b) depositing a coating onto one side of the nanorod; and

c) subjecting the coated nanorod to etching to remove the sacrificial metal segments from the nanorod and thereby produce a nanowire having gaps at positions previously occupied by the sacrificial metal.

13. The lithographic method of claim 12 further comprising a step of filling the gaps with a filler.

14. The lithographic method of claim 13 wherein the filler is deposited using dip-pen lithography.

15. The lithographic method of claim 13 wherein the filler is a conducting polymer.

16. The lithographic process of claim 12 wherein the metal of the nanorod is gold.

17. The lithographic process of claim 12 wherein the sacrificial metal is nickel or silver.

18. The lithographic process of claim 12 wherein the coating is a gold/titanium alloy or silicon dioxide.

19. The lithographic process of claim 12 wherein the gaps of the nanowire independently have a width of about 2 nm to about 5 μ

m.

20. A nanowire prepared by the lithographic process of claim 12.

21. The nanowire of claim 20 wherein the metal is gold.

22. The nanowire of claim 20 wherein the coating is a gold/titanium alloy or silicon dioxide.

23. The nanowire of claim 20 wherein the widths of the gaps independently are about 2 nm to about 5 μ

m.

24. The nanowire of claim 20 wherein the bridging material is insulating or conducting.

25. The nanowire of claim 20 wherein the gaps are filled with a filler.

26. The nanowire of claim 25 wherein the filler is a conducting polymer.

27. A nanorod array comprising nanowires prepared by the lithographic process of claim 12.

28. The nanorod array of claim 27 wherein the metal is gold.

29. The nanorod array of claim 27 wherein the thickness of the array is about 20 nm to about 5 μ

m.

30. The nanorod array of claim 27 wherein the space between the nanorods comprising the nanorod array is about 5 nm to about 5 μ

m.

31. A plasmon wire comprising a nanorod array comprising nanowires produced from the lithographic process of claim 12.

32. A waveguide comprising a nanorod array comprising nanowires produced from the lithographic process of claim 12.