NanoTechnology: Materials, Processes & Devices

Research that includes:

  • Development of nanostructure fabrication technology
  • Nanomagnetics, Microphotonics
  • CMOS Integrated Nanowires/Nanotubes (CMOS-Inn)

BPN594: QES: Fast, High-Throughput Micro, Nanoparticle Printing with Tunable Resolution & Size

Sun Choi
2012

We report a novel technique to print micro, nanoparticle assembly with tunable resolution (from several micron to hundreds micron) by using porous silicon membrane-based printing head. Creating regular, repetitive and well-defined three-dimensional patterns of particle assembly in targeted area is a major bottleneck in various applications such as the fabrication of three-dimensional photonic crystals, printed electronics on flexible substrates, colloidal quantum-dot based devices for display, plasmonics and etc. In this presented work, micro, nanoparticles are printed via porous...

BPN636: Extremely Elastic Strain Gauges via Nanotube Percolation Poisson Capacitors

Daniel J. Cohen
2012

There is a growing need for stretchable electronics and sensors, and so we have developed a best-in-class stretchable strain gauge designed to meet this challenge. Our device works by measuring capacitive changes in parallel networks of carbon nanotubes separated by an elastomer. The device supports strains up to 100% with less than 3% variability over 3000 cycles, and does so at a materials cost of under 50 cents/sensor. The sensitivity is 0.99, while the theoretical maximum for a stretchable gauge is 1. By contrast, metal-foil gauges (the current standard) can only sustain strains...

BPN533: Nanomaterial-Based Artificial Skin Sensor

Kuniharu Takei
Toshitake Takahashi
Chuan Wang
2012

Flexible large-scale devices are of great interest for wearable human interface applications. We have developed a technique of "uniform nanomaterial patterning" for the integration of high- performance inorganic nanomaterials on user-defined substrates. This project is to realize large scale flexible multi-functional electronics by utilizing nanomaterials such as nanowires, nanotubes, and nanoparticles. As one of applications, we here demonstrate mechanically flexible large scale high sensitive multi-functional artificial skin by proposing different types of sensors such as a...

BPN490: QES: Microfluidic Reactors for Controlled Synthesis of Monodisperse Nanoparticles

E. Yegan Erdem
2013

The goal of this project is to design a microfluidic system to synthesize monodispersed nanoparticles. Two microreactors are designed for controlled synthesis of monodisperse nanoparticles. Our first microreactor works by mixing two reagents inside a droplet to synthesize nanoparticles whereas the second microreactor is designed to achieve monodispersity by having thermally isolated zones for nucleation and growth processes and incorporating a two phase flow system to assure uniform reaction conditions. This reactor is fabricated in silicon and it is capable of handling high...

BPN469: Ultra-Short Channel 1D-2D Compound Semiconductor on Insulator (XOI) FETs

Steven Chuang
Kuniharu Takei
2013

Recently, compound semiconductor on insulator(XOI)has risen as a promising platform for next generation high performance electronics, as it inherits advantages from both SOI and high mobility III-V materials. In order to test the performance limit of this platform, we plan on fabricating ultra-short channel XOI FETs. This project will involve various controlled experiments to better understand the underlying physics of XOI FETs, thus allowing us to progress towards the ultimate XOI FET.

Project end date: 08/16/13

BPN659: High Performance Flexible Integrated Circuits Using Carbon Nanotube Networks

Chuan Wang
Kuniharu Takei
Toshitake Takahashi
2013

In this Project, we report the use of high-purity semiconducting carbon nanotube networks and 2-dimensional III-V nanomembranes for high-performance integrated circuits on mechanically flexible substrates for digital, analog, and radio-frequency applications. We have demonstrated high-performance carbon nanotube thin-film transistors (TFTs) with on-current, transconductance, and field-effect mobility up to 15 uA/um, 4 uS/um, and 50 cm2/Vs. Using such devices, digital logic gates with superior bending stability have been demonstrated. We have also employed a self-aligned device...

BPN629: Large-Scale Carbon Nanotube Network Active Matrix Circuitry for Flexible and Stretchable Electronics

Toshitake Takahashi
Kuniharu Take
Chuan Wang
2013

In this project, we will explore a promising approach for large-scale flexible and stretchable electronics using semiconductor-enriched carbon nanotube (CNTs) solution. In conventional flexible devices, organic materials or amorphous silicon have been intensively explored, but its inherently low electrical performance limits the range of potential applications. Here, we use solution-based approach in which semiconductor-enriched CNTs (99 %) are deposited uniformly on wafer-scale flexible polyimide (PI) substrate or Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate at room temperature, and obtain...

BPN658: QES: Nano-Composite Capacitor for High Performance Energy Storage

Anju Toor
2013

The goal of this project is to design and develop an innovative nanoparticle/polymer composite material and then apply this nanocomposite to the development of a supercapacitor module with high energy and high power density. A new technique for creating films of core/shell nanoparticles in a polymer matrix could allow cost effective fabrication of capacitors with enhanced energy storage capacity as compared to conventional devices. The module can serve as efficient energy storage for back-up power in buildings and for hybrid/electric vehicles where lack of fast recharging time,...

BPN720: Selective Chemical Detection with Full Atom-Thick Material Platform

Joanne C. Lo
2013

Selective chemical sensing has a wide range of application in health and environmental monitoring. A small and flexible sensor that can detect a wide range of chemicals with precision can enable a host of new inventions, including clothing that detects environmental pollutants and soldier helmets that sense hazardous gases. Two-dimensional materials, such as graphene and molydenum disulfide, have many sought-after properties that will enable the creation of such a sensor. This project utilizes theses unique properties, such as high electron mobility and voltage-tunable optical...

BPN686: Spatially Controlled Growth of III-V Semiconductors Toward Low-Cost and High-Efficiency PVs

Daisuke Kiriya
Maxwell Zheng
Rehan Kapadia
Zhibin Yu
2013

So far, extensive research has been carried out for III-V semiconductor materials from crystal growth to device fabrications. The reason for this is that III-V shows the highest energy conversion efficiency due to high absorption coefficient and optimal and direct band gap. However, there is problem for III-V applications, which is the high cost of raw materials. We are exploring a method which addresses this limitation. High optical quality crystals have been grown on selected tiny areas to make array of crystals such as on metal foils. This should be useful as a PV without any loss...