Method of aligning nanowires

• US 6,248,674 B1
• Filed: 02/02/2000
• Issued: 06/19/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Kamins, Theodore I., Chang, Ying-Lan
• Primary Examiner(s): Bowers, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): PERT, EVAN T
• Application Number:
  US09/496,365
• Time in Patent Office: 503 Days
• Field of Search: 438/795, 438/798, 438/618, 257/734, 257/741, 174/1
• US Class Current: 438/798
• CPC Class Codes: B82B 3/00 Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures by manipulation of individual atoms or molecules, or limited collections of atoms or molecules as discrete units
• 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 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 40/00 Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2213/81 Array wherein the array conductors, e.g. word lines, bit lines, are made of nanowires
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/84 Manufacture, treatment, or detection of nanostructure

Abstract

A method of aligning nanowires on a substrate is provided. First, a plurality of the nanowires is formed on the substrate, then the plurality of nanowires is exposed to a flux of energetic ions, e.g., argon at an ion energy of 5 KV and an integrated flux density of about 6×10¹⁵ ions/cm². The flux of energetic ions serves to align the nanowires parallel to each other. The flux of energetic ions may also be used to align the nanowires parallel to the substrate surface.

Claims

1. A method of aligning nanowires on a substrate, comprising:

(a) forming a plurality of said nanowires on said substrate, said nanowires having two opposed ends, at least one of said ends attached to said substrate; and

(b) exposing said plurality of nanowires to a flux of energetic species.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein metal-containing nuclei are formed on said substrate and wherein said nanowires are grown by decomposition of a gas catalyzed by said metal in said metal-containing nuclei.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said metal is selected from the group consisting of titanium, gold, iron, zinc, silver, copper, platinum, palladium, nickel, and manganese.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said nanowires comprise silicon.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said substrate comprises silicon.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein energetic species comprise ions of inert gases.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said inert gases are selected from the group consisting of argon, helium, neon, xenon, and nitrogen.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein said energetic species have an ion energy of 100 eV to 10 KeV.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein said energetic species has an integrated flux density of 1×

10¹⁴ to 1×

10¹⁷ ions/cm².

10. The method of claim 6 wherein said energetic species is argon ions with an integrated flux density of 3×

10¹⁴ to 2×

10¹⁶ ions/cm².

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said ion energy is about 5 KeV and said integrated flux density is about 6×

10¹⁵ ions/cm².

12. The method of claim 6 wherein said plurality of nanowires is exposed to said flux of ions for a period of time within a range of 2 to 60 seconds.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said time is about 20 seconds.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said flux of energetic species is rastered over an area on said substrate.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein said nanowires are attached to said substrate during formation of said nanowires on said substrate.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein said nanowires are attached to said substrate following formation of said nanowires and prior to said exposing.

17. A plurality of nanowires aligned by the method of claim 1.