Nanowire and microwire fabrication technique and product
AssigneeWiSys Technology Foundation, Inc.
InventorMichael Zach
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of fabricating nanowires or microwires employs a robust conductive surface whose edges define electrodes for promoting electrochemical deposition of nanowire material at those edges. Controlled deposition times and thin conductive layers allow extremely small diameter wires to be created and then removed without destruction of the pattern and the wires to be applied to a second substrate or used for composite materials.
Claims20
A method of constructing nanowires and microwires comprising the steps of:
- (a) preparing a pattern of conductive diamond on a substrate, the pattern of conductive diamond providing edges of conductive diamond at desired locations of wires, the edges extending generally away from a surface of the substrate;
- (b) immersing the pattern in at least one solution containing an electrochemically depositable first material;
- and
- (c) controlling an application of an electrical potential between the conductive diamond and the solution to electrically deposit the first material along the edge to grow the wire.
A method of constructing nanowires and microwires comprising the steps of:
- (a) preparing a pattern of conductor on a substrate, the conductor providing edges at desired locations of wires;
- (b) immersing the pattern in a solution containing an electrochemically depositable material;
- and
- (c) controlling an application of an electrical potential between the edges and the solution to electrically deposit the material along at least a portion of the edges to grow the wire.
- (d) applying a cohesive material to the wires on the substrate;
- (e) removing the cohesive from the substrate material to pull the wires from the substrate;
- (f) repeating steps (d) and (e) for a given pattern and different second substrates.
A template for growing nanowires or microwires comprising:
- an insulating layer providing a substantially planar substrate;
- a pattern of conductor positioned over the insulating layer providing edges at desired locations of wires;
- and
- a second insulating layer covering the pattern of conductor except at the edges and without overhang of the conductor by the insulating layer along a direction normal to a surface of the substrate;
- wherein the insulating layers and conductor are selected to permit physical detachment of wires grown thereon by cohesive forces without substantial damage to the insulating layers and conductor.
A structure comprising:
- a conductive wire having a cross-sectional area less than 1000 μm2 and a length of at least 10 times a largest cross-sectional dimension;
- and
- a diamond coating on the wire.
A cutting tool comprising a plurality of nanostructures embedded in a supporting matrix structure;
- wherein the nanostructures are selected from the group consisting of essentially straight segments of metallic wires coated with diamond and loops of metallic wires coated with diamond.
A photocell comprising:
- a substrate
- at least two mutually insulated layers of conductive diamond on an outer surface of the substrate position to receive light there through;
- a plurality of holes in the mutually insulated layers exposing edges all the layers;
- and
- photoelectrically active materials in the plurality of holes spanning the layers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.