Nanowire Gap Formation via Sacrificial Segment Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Nanowire devices face challenges in reproducibility and precise control over the size and position of gaps or break junctions, limiting their practical applications due to mechanical and electro-migration based techniques.
Innovation Solution
A method for forming nanowire devices with a selectively removable segment allows for precise control over the length and position of the gap, enabling reproducible devices suitable for various applications by introducing materials into the gap, such as sensors or diodes, through controlled etching and growth processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If mechanical or electro-migration based techniques are used to produce gaps or break junctions in nanowires, then the nanowire can be interrupted to form junctions, but the process is not reproducible and does not enable accurate control over the size and position of the gap
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by forming a sacrificial nanowire segment at the desired gap location before final device assembly. This sacrificial segment is intentionally created in advance with controlled dimensions and position, then selectively removed to produce the gap. The preliminary formation of this removable segment enables precise gap positioning and reproducible results, as the segment's location and size are determined during the controlled nanowire growth process rather than through subsequent mechanical or electro-migration techniques.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies the extraction principle by selectively removing a sacrificial nanowire segment to create the desired gap or break junction. Instead of directly creating the gap through mechanical force or electro-migration, a sacrificial segment is grown and then extracted through selective dissolution or etching processes. This extraction approach provides precise control over gap size and position because the removed segment's dimensions are determined during controlled growth, and the removal process is chemically selective and reproducible.
2Productivity
If nanowire dimensions are reduced to nano-scale (1-100 nm), then device density increases, but mechanical and electro-migration techniques become unreliable for gap formation at this scale
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical gap formation techniques with a chemical self-assembly approach. Instead of using mechanical forces or electro-migration to create gaps in nanoscale wires, the invention uses controlled chemical deposition to grow sacrificial segments and selective chemical dissolution to remove them. This substitution of mechanical processes with chemical processes enables reliable and reproducible gap formation at the nanoscale, where mechanical techniques become ineffective and unpredictable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by controlling the composition and growth conditions of the sacrificial nanowire segment to enable selective removal. The sacrificial segment is formed with specific material properties (such as different composition or crystal structure) that distinguish it from the remaining nanowire, allowing selective etching or dissolution. By changing material parameters during the growth process, the invention achieves reliable gap formation at nanoscale dimensions where traditional mechanical methods fail.
Data Source
AI summary
A nanowire device includes a nanowire formed between two surfaces, and a gap formed at a predetermined location in the nanowire.