Methods of positioning and/or orienting nanostructures
First Claim
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1. A method of depositing a population of nanowires on a surface of a substrate substantially in a desired orientation, comprising:
- providing one or more fluid channels on the surface of the substrate, wherein at least one fluid channel has at least one of a widened region or a thinned region along a length of the channel;
flowing a first fluid containing nanowires over the surface in a first direction through the one or more fluid channels, the first direction being parallel to a desired longitudinal orientation of the nanowires; and
permitting a population of nanowires in the first fluid to become immobilized onto the surface, a longitudinal dimension of the nanowires from the first fluid being substantially oriented in the first direction.
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Abstract
Methods of positioning and orienting nanostructures, and particularly nanowires, on surfaces for subsequent use or integration. The methods utilize mask based processes alone or in combination with flow based alignment of the nanostructures to provide oriented and positioned nanostructures on surfaces. Also provided are populations of positioned and/or oriented nanostructures, devices that include populations of positioned and/or oriented nanostructures, systems for positioning and/or orienting nanostructures, and related devices, systems and methods.
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Citations
48 Claims
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1. A method of depositing a population of nanowires on a surface of a substrate substantially in a desired orientation, comprising:
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providing one or more fluid channels on the surface of the substrate, wherein at least one fluid channel has at least one of a widened region or a thinned region along a length of the channel;
flowing a first fluid containing nanowires over the surface in a first direction through the one or more fluid channels, the first direction being parallel to a desired longitudinal orientation of the nanowires; and
permitting a population of nanowires in the first fluid to become immobilized onto the surface, a longitudinal dimension of the nanowires from the first fluid being substantially oriented in the first direction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method of positioning nanowires in one or more predetermined regions on a substrate, comprising:
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providing a substrate having a first surface;
overlaying the first surface with a mask, the mask providing fluid access to one or more first predetermined regions on the first surface, but not to one or more second predetermined regions on the surface of the substrate, wherein the mask comprises at least one fluid passage having first and second regions of dissimilar dimension;
flowing fluid containing nanowires through the mask and into contact with the first predetermined regions of the substrate surface; and
permitting the nanowires contained in the nanowire containing fluid to immobilize in the first predetermined regions of the surface of the substrate. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A nanowire based device, comprising:
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at least a first population of nanowires immobilized in at least a first region of a surface of a substrate, the first population of nanowires being substantially longitudinally oriented in a first direction;
at least first and second electrical contacts disposed on the first region of the surface of the substrate; and
wherein the first and second electrical contacts are separated from each other on the first surface of the substrate in the first direction by a distance that is less than 50% of an average length of the nanowires in the first population of nanowires. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A system for orienting nanowires on a surface of a substrate, comprising:
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a substrate having a first surface;
at least one fluid channel disposed on the first surface, wherein the at least one fluid channel comprises one or more of a widened region or a thinned region along a length of the channel corresponding to a position on the surface of the substrate where it is desired to position nanowires; and
a fluid direction system coupled to the at least one fluid channel and coupled to a source of fluid containing nanowires, for flowing the fluid containing nanowires in a first direction through the at least one fluid channel. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42)
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43. A system for positioning nanowires on a substrate, comprising:
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a substrate having a first surface;
a masking element disposed over the first surface and providing a plurality of fluid passages to one or more discrete regions of the first surface, wherein the masking element comprises a manifold having a plurality of fluid channels disposed therein, wherein one or more of the fluid channels comprises a widened region corresponding to a position on the surface of the substrate where it is desired to position nanowires, the widened region providing longer residence time within the widened region for a fluid flowing through the one or more fluid channels, the plurality of fluid channels having as at least one wall of the channels the one or more regions of the surface of the substrate, the fluid channels providing the one or more fluid passages to the first surface of the substrate;
a source of fluid containing nanowires fluidly coupled to the plurality of fluid passages on the masking element; and
a fluid direction system for delivering fluid from the fluid source to the plurality of fluid passages. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A method of positioning nanostructures on a surface of a substrate, comprising:
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contacting the surface of the substrate with a fluid containing the nanostructures;
establishing a standing wave through the fluid, the standing wave localizing nanostructures preferentially in first selected regions of the surface of the substrate and not in second selected regions of the substrate.
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Specification