Direct integration of inorganic nanowires with micron-sized electrodes

Abstract

An electronic device such as a sensor or a NEMS. The electronic device comprises at least one substrate; a plurality of electrodes disposed on the substrate; and at least one nano-wire growing from an edge of a first electrode to an edge of a second electrode. A method for making an electrode structure by providing a substrate; forming a plurality of electrodes on the substrate; growing at least one nano-wire from the edge of a first electrode; and connecting the at least one nano-wire to the edge of a second electrode is also disclosed.

1 .- 76 . (canceled)  
     
     
         77 . A method for making an electrode structure, wherein the electrode structure comprises at least one substrate, a plurality of electrodes disposed on the substrate, and at least one nano-wire originating from an edge of a first electrode and extending to an edge of a second electrode, the method comprising the steps of: 
 a) providing the substrate;    b) forming a plurality of electrodes on the substrate;    c) growing the at least one nano-wire from the edge of the first electrode; and    d) connecting the at least one nano-wire to the edge of the second electrode.    
     
     
         78 . The method according to  claim 77 , wherein the substrate comprises at least one of a semi-conducting material, an insulating material, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         79 . The method according to  claim 78 , wherein the semi-conducting material comprises at least one of silicon, germanium, indium tin oxide, silicon carbide, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         80 . The method according to  claim 78 , wherein the insulating material comprises at least one of a metal oxide and diamond.  
     
     
         81 . The method according to  claim 80 , wherein the metal oxide comprises at least one of magnesium oxide, sapphire, lithium aluminate and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         82 . The method according to  claim 77 , wherein the step of providing the substrate further includes cleaning the substrate.  
     
     
         83 . The method according to  claim 77 , wherein the step of forming a plurality of electrodes further comprises the steps of: 
 a) depositing a photoresist film onto a surface of the substrate;    b) defining a plurality of patterns on the photoresist film using photolithography;    c) cleaning the plurality of patterns with an etch process to leave a plurality of exposed portions of the substrate; and    d) depositing an electrode material on the plurality of exposed portions of the substrate.    
     
     
         84 . The method according to  claim 83 , wherein the electrode material comprises at least one noble metal.  
     
     
         85 . The method according to  claim 84 , wherein the at least one noble metal comprises at least one of platinum, gold, silver, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         86 . The method according to  claim 83 , wherein the electrode material has a thickness in a range from about 10 Angstroms to about 1000 Angstroms.  
     
     
         87 . The method according to  claim 86 , wherein the electrode material has a thickness in a range from about 30 Angstroms to about 100 Angstroms.  
     
     
         88 . The method according to  claim 83 , wherein the step of depositing the electrode material comprises depositing the catalyst using at least one of electron-beam evaporation, laser ablation, rf sputtering, plasma sputtering, molecular beam epitaxy, chemical vapor deposition, physical vapor deposition, metal organic chemical vapor deposition, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         89 . The method according to  claim 77 , wherein the plurality of electrodes comprises at least one of tungsten, niobium, tantalum, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         90 . The method according to  claim 77 , wherein the plurality of electrodes comprises a catalyst.  
     
     
         91 . The method according to  claim 90 , wherein the catalyst comprises at least one of gold, nickel, iron, chromium, cobalt, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         92 . The method according to  claim 77 , wherein the at least one nano-wire comprises at least one of a semi-conductor, a carbide, an oxide, a nitride, a boride, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         93 . The method according to  claim 92 , wherein the semi-conductor comprises at least one of silicon, germanium, a III-V compound, a II-VI compound, a IV-VI compound, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         94 . The method according to  claim 92 , wherein the carbide comprises at least one of silicon carbide, niobium carbide, molybdenum carbide, tantalum carbide, hafnium carbide, tungsten carbide, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         95 . The method according to  claim 77 , wherein the at least one nano-wire is oriented perpendicular to the first electrode.  
     
     
         96 . The method according to  claim 95 , wherein the at least one nano-wire is oriented by at least one of an electric field, a magnetic field, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         97 . The method according to  claim 95 , wherein the at least one nano-wire is oriented by a gas flow.  
     
     
         98 . The method according to  claim 77 , wherein the at least one nano-wire is coupled to the second electrode by a catalytic particle.  
     
     
         99 . The method according to  claim 77 , wherein the step of connecting the at least one nano-wire to the edge of the second electrode comprises coupling the at least one nano-wire to the second electrode by a lithographically patterned electrode film.  
     
     
         100 . The method according to  claim 77 , wherein the at least one nano-wire is a nano-ribbon.  
     
     
         101 . The method according to  claim 77 , wherein the at least one nano-wire has a diameter in a range from about 5 nm to about 300 nm.  
     
     
         102 . The method according to  claim 101 , wherein the at least one nano-wire has a diameter in a range from about 5 nm to about 100 nm.  
     
     
         103 . The method according to  claim 77 , wherein the at least one nano-wire has a length in a range from about 50 nm to about 50,000 nm.  
     
     
         104 . The method according to  claim 103 , wherein the at least one nano-wire has a length in a range from about 200 nm to about 20,000 nm.  
     
     
         105 . The method according to  claim 77 , wherein the step of growing at least one nano-wire comprises heating the electrode structure to a predetermined temperature in the presence of a metal vapor source, and maintaining the electrode structure at the predetermined temperature for a dwell time.  
     
     
         106 . The method according to  claim 105 , wherein the predetermined temperature is in range from about 500° C. to about 1400° C.  
     
     
         107 . The method according to  claim 106 , wherein the predetermined temperature is in range from about 750° C. to about 1100° C.  
     
     
         108 . The method according to  claim 105 , wherein the metal vapor source comprises at least one of a semi-conductor, a carbide, an oxide, a nitride, a boride, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         109 . The method according to  claim 77 , wherein the electrode structure comprises a portion of at least one of a core-shell structure, a hetero-epitaxial nano-wire, a GATE dielectric device, a biosensor, a chemical sensor, an artificial nose, a cross-bar arrays, a nano-electromechanical system (NEMS) device, a transistor, a photo-detector, a light emitting diode (LED), a super-conducting device, a laser device, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         110 . The method of  claim 77 , wherein the step of growing the at least one nano-wire from the edge of the first electrode comprises growing a plurality of nano-wires.  
     
     
         111 . The electronic device of  claim 110 , wherein the plurality of nano-wires comprises an architecture.  
     
     
         112 . The electronic device of  claim 111 , wherein the architecture further comprises a cross-bar architecture of nano-wires.