# US 10,501,316 B2 · Nanowire arrays for trace vapor preconcentration

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- Number: US 10,501,316 B2
- Document ID: US10501316B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/955,721
- Filed: 2018-04-18
- Published: 2018-08-23
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2010-11-15
- Assignees: The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
- Applicants: The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
- Inventors: Braden C. Giordano; Pehr E. Pehrsson; Kevin J. Johnson; Daniel Ratchford; Christopher Field; Junghoon Yeom
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10501316B2

## CPC

- G01N 33/0011: {Sample conditioning (preparing specimens for investigation G01N1/28)}
- H10D 62/83: being Group IV materials, e.g. B-doped Si or undoped Ge
- B82Y 10/00: Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
- B82Y 30/00: Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
- G01N 27/124: {varying the temperature, e.g. in a cyclic manner}
- G01N 27/127: {comprising nanoparticles}
- G01N 27/4146: {involving nanosized elements, e.g. nanotubes, nanowires}
- G01N 33/0019: {by preconcentration}
- H10D 62/118: {Nanostructure semiconductor bodies}
- H10D 62/122: {oriented at angles to substrates, e.g. perpendicular to substrates}
- H10D 64/62: Electrodes ohmically coupled to a semiconductor
- B82Y 15/00: Nanotechnology for interacting, sensing or actuating, e.g. quantum dots as markers in protein assays or molecular motors
- B82Y 40/00: Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
- G01N 33/0031: {comprising two or more sensors, e.g. a sensor array}
- G01R 1/06744: {Microprobes, i.e. having dimensions as IC details}
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
- B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES
- G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12)

## Abstract

Disclosed herein is a method of providing a structure having two electrodes connected by nanowires, exposing the structure to an analyte that can adsorb onto the nanowires, and passing an electrical current through the nanowires to heat the nanowires to desorb the analyte. Also disclosed herein is an apparatus having the above structure; a current source electrically connected to the electrodes, and a detector to detect the analyte.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
providing two or more structures, each structure comprising:
a first electrode;
a plurality of nanowires comprising a chemically selective surface perpendicular to the first electrode, each nanowire having a first end in contact with the first electrode; and
a second electrode in contact with a second end of each nanowire;
wherein different structures have chemically selective surfaces that are selective for different analytes;
exposing the structures to a sample suspected of containing an analyte that can adsorb onto the nanowires of at least one of the structures; and
passing an electrical current through the nanowires to heat the nanowires to a temperature at which the analyte will desorb from the nanowires.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the second electrode comprises perforations.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

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

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the nanowires comprise silicon.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the chemically selective surface is an adsorbing layer, a stationary phase, or a surface functionalization.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the second electrode is a continuous material.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the second electrode comprises titanium and gold.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
detecting any desorbed analyte.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the detection is by mass spectroscopy, ion mobility spectrometry, change in fluorescence intensity of a fluorescent probe, change in resonance of a cantilever, change in frequency of a cantilever, change in resistance of a chemiresistor, or detection by a nanowire array.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further comprising:
passing the desorbed analyte through a gas chromatograph before detecting the desorbed analyte.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the detection is by mass spectroscopy, ion mobility spectrometry, change in fluorescence intensity of a fluorescent probe, change in resonance of a cantilever, change in frequency of a cantilever, or detection by a nanowire array.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein there are no electrodes between the sides of the nanowires.

### Claim 13

An apparatus comprising:
two or more structures, each structure comprising:
a first electrode;
a plurality of nanowires comprising a chemically selective surface perpendicular to the first electrode, each nanowire having a first end in contact with the first electrode; and
a second electrode in contact with a second end of each nanowire;
wherein different structures have chemically selective surfaces that are selective for different analytes;
a current source electrically connected to each of the first electrodes and each of the second electrodes; and
a detector configured to detect an analyte that may be desorbed from the nanowires.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the chemically selective surface is an adsorbing layer, a stationary phase, or a surface functionalization.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the detector is a mass spectrograph, an ion mobility spectrograph, a fluorescence probe, a microcantilevers, a chemiresistor, or a nanowire array.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:
a gas chromatograph configured to pass the analyte from the nanowires to the detector.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The apparatus of claim 13, wherein there are no electrodes between the sides of the nanowires.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the detector is a mass spectrograph, an ion mobility spectrograph, a fluorescence probe, a microcantilevers, or a nanowire array.