Nanoscale wires and related devices

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to sub-microelectronic circuitry, and more particularly to nanometer-scale articles, including nanoscale wires which can be selectively doped at various locations and at various levels. In some cases, the articles may be single crystals. The nanoscale wires can be doped, for example, differentially along their length, or radially, and either in terms of identity of dopant, concentration of dopant, or both. This may be used to provide both n-type and p-type conductivity in a single item, or in different items in close proximity to each other, such as in a crossbar array. The fabrication and growth of such articles is described, and the arrangement of such articles to fabricate electronic, optoelectronic, or spintronic devices and components. For example, semiconductor materials can be doped to form n-type and p-type semiconductor regions for making a variety of devices such as field effect transistors, bipolar transistors, complementary inverters, tunnel diodes, light emitting diodes, sensors, and the like.

Description

PRIORITY APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §120 of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 152,490, filed May 20, 2002, of Lieber, et al., entitled “Nanoscale Wires and Related Devices,” which claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to provisional patent application Ser. No. 60 / 292,045, filed May 18, 2001 of Lieber, et al., entitled, “Nanowire Electronic Devices Including Memory and Switching Devices,” and of 60 / 291,896, filed May 18, 2001, of Lieber, et al., entitled “Nanowire Devices Including Emissive Elements and Sensors,” and of 60 / 354,642, filed Feb. 6, 2002 of Lieber, et al., entitled “Nanowire Devices Including Emissive Elements and Sensors,” each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates generally to nanotechnology, and more particularly to nanoelectronics, i.e., nanoscale semiconductors and other articles, and associat...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention relates to methods and systems for making articles and devices with nanometer-scale features. The invention includes methods for doping semiconductors during growth, assembling elongated structures on surfaces, and making devices with semiconductor materials. The invention also includes systems for dispersing elongated structures in a liquid phase, aligning them using functionalities on the surface, and depositing them onto surfaces. The invention provides devices with nanometer-scale features, such as semiconductors with different compositions in different regions, and free-standing wires and materials. The invention has applications in various fields such as electronics, sensors, and biomedical devices.

Problems solved by technology

While nanoscopic articles might be well-suited for transport of charge carriers and excitons (e.g. electrons, electron pairs, etc.) and thus may be useful as building blocks in nanoscale electronics applications, other than standard small-scale lithographic techniques, nanoelectronics is not a well-developed field.

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