Nova Patents
EP2298968A2

Method for growing nanowires

Abstract

A method comprises providing a population of catalyst particles and growing a population of semiconductor nanowires catalytically from the population of catalyst particles. The nanowires of the population have a variation in diameter of less than about 20%, and the nanowires of the population have a smallest width less than 500 nanometers. Preferably the nanowires of the population have a variation in diameter of less than about 10%.

EP2298968A2, drawing sheet 1
Sheet 1 of 36

Term

Term ended

Projected expiry passed 22 August 2021, 5.1 years ago.

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15 claims: 6 independent, 9 dependent

  1. 1
    A method, comprising:providing a population of catalyst particles;and growing a population of semiconductor nanowires catalytically from the population of catalyst particles;wherein the nanowires of the population have a variation in diameter of less than about 20%, and wherein the nanowires of the population have a smallest width less than 500 nanometers;preferably wherein the nanowires of the population have a variation in diameter of less than about 10%.
  2. 4
    The method of any preceding claim, further comprising doping the semiconductor nanowires to produce a population of doped semiconductor nanowires, preferably wherein the doping comprises adding one or more dopant materials to a surface of at least some of the doped semiconductor nanowires, more preferably wherein the doping comprises doping the nanowires during growth.
  3. 6
    The method of any preceding claim, wherein the growing comprises laser-assisted catalytic growth.
  4. 7
    The method of any preceding claim, wherein the catalyst particles comprise size-selected catalyst particles, preferably wherein the catalyst particles are size-selected to have a variation in diameter of less than about 20%, more preferably less than 10%, preferably wherein the catalyst particles are size-selected by dilution.
  5. 8
    The method of any preceding claim, wherein at least some of the catalyst particles comprises gold, preferably wherein at least some of the catalyst particles comprising gold further comprise one or more of Ag, Cu, Zn, Cd, Fe, Ni, Co or mixtures thereof.
  6. 9
    The method of any preceding claim, further comprising depositing the nanowires on a substrate, preferably further comprising aligning the nanowires on the substrate.
  7. 12
    The method of any of claims 9 - 11, wherein the aligning comprises using an electric field to align the one or more nanowires on the surface, preferably wherein said aligning comprises generating an electric field between at least two electrodes on the substrate and positioning the one or more semiconductor nanowires between the electrodes.
  8. 13
    The method of any of claims 9 - 12, wherein the aligning comprises using a mechanical tool to align the one or more nanowires on the surface.
  9. 14
    The method of any of claims 9 - 13, wherein the depositing and/or aligning comprises depositing at least one p-type semiconductor nanowire and at least one n-type semiconductor nanowires such that the p-type semiconductor nanowire and the n-type semiconductor nanowire are crossed to form at least one semiconductor nanowire junction, wherein one or both of the p-type semiconductor nanowire and the n-type semiconductor nanowire are chosen from the population of semiconductor nanowires.
  10. 15
    The method of any of claims 9 - 14, wherein the depositing and/or aligning comprises depositing the semiconductor nanowires on a surface of the substrate to form a device comprising one or more of a field-effect transistor, a switch, a diode, a light-emitting diode, a tunnel diode, a Schottky diode, a bipolar junction transistor, an inverter, an optical sensor, a sensor for an analyte, a memory device, a laser, a logic gate, a latch, a register, an amplifier, a signal processor, a digital circuit, an analog circuit, a light emission source, a photodiode, a phototransistor, a photovoltaic device, a Langmuir-Blodgett film, or a combination thereof.
Independent claims10