Perforated contact electrode on vertical nanowire array

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10167192-B2
Application number	US-201615049404-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 22, 2016
Priority date	Nov 15, 2010
Publication date	Jan 1, 2019
Grant date	Jan 1, 2019

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a structure having: a support, a plurality of nanowires perpendicular to the support, and an electrode in contact with a first end of each nanowire. Each nanowire has a second end in contact with the support. The electrode contains a plurality of perforations. The electrode contains a plurality of perforations. Also disclosed herein is a method of: providing the above support and nanowires; depositing a layer of a filler material that covers a portion of each nanowire and leaves a first end of each nanowire exposed; depositing a plurality of nanoparticles onto the filler material; depositing an electrode material on the nanoparticles, the ends of the nanowires, and any exposed filler material; and removing the nanoparticles and filler material to form an electrode in contact with the first end of each nanowire; wherein the electrode contains a plurality of perforations.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A structure comprising:
a support;
a plurality of nanowires perpendicular to the support; and
an electrode in contact with a first end of each nanowire;
wherein each nanowire has a second end in contact with the support; and
wherein the electrode contains a plurality of perforations;
wherein each perforation comprises an open space forming a straight line path normal to the support and completely through the electrode.

2. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the nanowires and the perforations are periodically arranged.

3. The structure of claim 2 , wherein the nanowires and the perforations are arranged as a close-packed hexagonal array.

4. The structure of claim 1 , wherein there is an electrical connection between the nanowires and the electrode.

5. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the support is a substrate.

6. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the support is a second electrode.

7. The structure of claim 6 , wherein the second electrode contains a plurality of perforations.

8. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the nanowires and the support are both formed from a precursor substrate.

9. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the nanowires and the support comprise silicon.

10. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the electrode is formed by deposition of a vapor.

11. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the electrode is a continuous material.

12. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the electrode comprises titanium and gold.

13. A sensor comprising:
the structure of claim 1 ; and
a meter coupled to the structure to measure an electrical property of the structure.

14. A method comprising:
providing the structure of claim 1 ;
exposing the structure to a sample; and
detecting any change in an electrical property of the structure.

Assignees

• Us Navy

Inventors

• In Hyun Jin
• Field Christopher
• Pehrsson Pehr E

Classifications

• B82Y30/00

  Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites · CPC title

• H01L29/0665

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G01N27/4146

  involving nanosized elements, e.g. nanotubes, nanowires · CPC title

• H01L2924/0002

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L29/0676

  Electricity · mapped topic