Methods of making, positioning and orienting nanostructures, nanostructure arrays and nanostructure devices

• US 6,962,823 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2003
• Issued: 11/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ONED Material Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nanosys Incorporated (Shoei Electronic Materials, Inc.)
• Inventors: Duan, Xianfeng, Niu, Chungming, Empedocles, Stephen, Romano, Linda T., Bock, Larry, Stumbo, David, Sahi, Vijendra, Chow, Calvin, Pontis, George
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HA T
• Application Number:
  US10/405,992
• Publication Number:
  US 20040005723A1
• Time in Patent Office: 952 Days
• Field of Search: 438/3, 438/105, 423/447.1, 423/460
• US Class Current: 438/3
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/52 Gold
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2203/0361 Tips, pillars
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2207/015 the micromechanical device and the control or processing electronics being integrated on the same substrate
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2203/057 Passive alignment techniques not provided for in B81C2203/054 - B81C2203/055
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 3/005 Passive alignment, i.e. without a detection of the position of the elements or using only structural arrangements or thermodynamic forces
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 99/008 separating the processed structure from a mother substrate
• 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: G11B 5/743 Patterned record carriers, wherein the magnetic recording layer is patterned into magnetic isolated data islands, e.g. discrete tracks
• 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 29/7869 having a semiconductor body comprising an oxide semiconductor material, e.g. zinc oxide, copper aluminium oxide, cadmium stannate
• 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: H10K 10/701 Organic molecular electronic devices
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/00 Manufacture or treatment specially adapted for the organic devices covered by this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/221 Carbon nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 438/962 Quantum dots and lines
• 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 977/856 : including etching/cutting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/857 : including coating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/858 : including positioning/mounting nanostructure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/89 : Deposition of materials, e.g. coating, cvd, or ald

Abstract

Nanostructure manufacturing methods and methods for assembling nanostructures into functional elements such as junctions, arrays and devices are provided. Systems for practicing the methods are also provided.

Claims

1. A method of forming nanostructures, the method com prising:

patterning a nanostructure catalyst on a substrate in a plurality of non-spherical patterned elements, wherein a plurality of different nanostructure catalysts are patterned into the patterned elements;

heating the catalyst patterned elements to form nanostructure catalyst spheres, wherein thickness and/or lateral dimension of the patterned elements controls the corresponding diameter of the catalyst spheres;

adding nanostructure precursors to the catalyst spheres; and

,

forming nanostructures from the catalyst spheres in the presence of the nanostructure precursors.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the different nanostructure catalysts comprise a gold catalyst and an iron catalyst.

3. A method of forming nanostructures, the method comprising:

patterning a nanostructure catalyst on a substrate in a plurality of non-spherical patterned elements, wherein the patterned elements differ in size or composition, wherein sets of patterned elements that differ in size or composition are patterned sequentally;

heating the catalyst patterned elements to form nanostructure catalyst spheres, wherein thickness and/or lateral dimension of the patterned elements controls the corresponding diameter of the catalyst spheres;

adding nanostructure precursors to the catalyst spheres; and

,

forming nanostructures from the catalyst spheres in the presence of the nanostructure precursors.

4. A method of forming nanostructures, the method comprising:

patterning a nanostructure catalyst on a substrate in a plurality of non-spherical patterned elements;

heating the catalyst patterned elements to form nanostructure catalyst spheres, wherein thickness and/or lateral dimension of the patterned elements controls the corresponding diameter of the catalyst spheres;

adding nanostructure precursors to the catalyst spheres; and

,

forming nanostructures from the catalyst spheres in the presence of the nanostructure precursors;

wherein the patterned elements differ in size or composition, wherein sets of patterned elements that differ in size or composition are patterned into a crossing array of components.

5. A method of forming nanostructures, the method comprising:

patterning a first set of nanostructure catalysts on a substrate in a plurality of non-spherical patterned elements;

heating the catalyst patterned elements to form nanostructure catalyst spheres, wherein thickness and/or lateral dimension of the patterned elements controls the corresponding diameter of the catalyst spheres;

adding a first set of nanostructure precursors to the catalyst spheres;

forming nanostructures from the catalyst spheres in the presence of the first set of nanostructure precursors; and

repeating the patterning, heating, adding and forming steps with a second set of nanostructure catalysts and a second set of nanostructure precursors.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first and second sets of nanostructure catalysts and nanostructure precursors are different.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein any remaining nanostructure catalyst from the first patterning, beating, adding and forming steps is removed prior to the second patterning, heating, adding and forming steps.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the remaining nanostructure catalyst is removed by selective etching.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the remaining nanostructure catalyst is removed by selectively etching an etchable region of the nanostructure below the nanostructure catalyst.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the selective etching is performed with an acidic etchant.