Density Of Nanowires Research Articles

Ultrahigh Transparent Safety Film for Spectrally Selective Photo/Electrothermal Conversion via Surface-Enhanced Plasma Resonance Dynamics.

Traditional deicing methods are increasingly insufficient for modern technologies like 5G infrastructure, photovoltaic systems, nearspace aerocraft, and terrestrial observatories. To address the challenge of combining anti-icing efficiency with operational performance, an innovative, spectrally selective, photo/electrothermic, ice-phobic film was prepared through a cost-effective mist deposition method. By manipulating the diameter ratio and density of nanowires, the local density of free electrons within this film is controlled to precisely dictate the position and intensity of surface plasmon resonance to achieve spectrally selective photo/electrothermal conversion. Additionally, the synthesized hydrophobic N-Boroxine-PDMS/SiO2 layer improves thermal stability and accelerates the deicing process. It achieves rapid deicing within 86 s under photothermal conditions and 65 s with Joule heating while maintaining high optical transmittance. The film improves the operational efficiency and thermal safety of equipment while preserving aesthetics and stability, thereby underscoring its broad suitability for advanced outdoor installations in cold environments.

Controlled Assembly of Nanowires into Welded Nanowire Networks for Memristor Device Fabrication

Next-generation electronic devices are essential for neuromorphic computing (or brain-inspired computing), which is essential for the high-speed processing of big data using artificial intelligence tools.(1) Memristors, an important constituent of these next-generation electronic devices, have been fabricated using many forms of metal oxides, including nanowires. Nanowires forms of oxides, although reduce the complexity of the memristive device fabrication process, need many technological advances for their widespread use in memristor fabrication.(1) For instance, the cyclability of devices needs to be improved. Furthermore, realizing the high density of nanowire-based memristor devices requires methods for addressing individual nanowires in large assemblies (i.e., arrays) of nanowires, strategies for which also need to be developed.(1) A possible avenue to address these problems is through the use of nanowire networks,(1) specifically those that have nanowires welded together via bridges that have the same chemical composition as those of the nanowires themselves.(2) In this configuration, the resistive switching of both the nanowires and the randomly-formed junctions between the nanowires can be employed to make mesoscale devices, circumventing the need to individually address each nanowire in the nanowire assemblies.(1) Realizing memristive devices based on welded nanowire networks, therefore, requires a strategy for assembly via welding of pre-synthesized nanowires into networks that offer the ability to control the chemical compositions of the interfaces between the nanowires and the densities of nanowires within the assemblies.(2, 3) In the presentation, strategies developed by our group for the assembly of semiconductor nanowires into welded nanowire networks of controlled densities will be discussed in detail. Specific devices that will be discussed include assembly via welding of Mg2Si, TiO2 and TiC nanowires.(2, 3) The assembly via welding of nanowires into networks is expected to accelerate the testing of mesoscale memristive devices, irrespective of the method employed for the synthesis of the nanowires used in the assemblies. This is expected to aid in accelerating both the science and technology needed for the deployment of memristive devices.

Geometrical properties of three-dimensional crossed nanowire networks

Three-dimensional interconnected nanowire networks have recently attracted notable attention for the fabrication of new devices for energy harvesting/storage, sensing, catalysis, magnetic and spintronic applications, and for the design of new hardware neuromorphic computing architectures. However, the complex branching of these nanowire networks makes it challenging to investigate these 3D nanostructured systems theoretically. Here, we present a theoretical description and simulations of the geometric properties of these 3D interconnected nanowire networks with selected characteristics. Our analysis reveals that the nanowire segment length between two crossing zones follows an exponential distribution. This suggests that shorter nanowire segments have a more pronounced influence on the nanowire network properties compared to their longer counterparts. Moreover, our observations reveal a homogeneous distribution in the smallest distance between the cores of two crossing nanowires. The results are highly reproducible and unaffected by changes in the nanowire network characteristics. The density of crossing zones and interconnected nanowire segments is found to vary as the square of the nanowire density multiplied by their diameter, further multiplied by a factor dependent on the packing factor. Finally, densities of interconnected segments up to 1013cm−2 can be achieved for 22-µm-thick nanowire networks with high packing factors. This has important implications for neuromorphic computing applications, suggesting that the realization of 1014 interconnections, which corresponds to the approximate number of synaptic connections in the human brain, is achievable with a nanowire network of about 10cm2. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Two-Dimensional Layered Nanomaterials Steering Self-Assembly of Dodecapeptides with Three Building Blocks.

Self-assembly of peptides on layered nanomaterials such as graphite and MoS2 in the formation of long-range ordered two-dimensional nanocrystal patterns leading to its potential applications for biosensing and bioelectronics has attracted significant interest in nanoscience and nanotechnology. However, controlling the self-assembly of peptides on nanomaterials is still challenging due to the unclear role of nanomaterials in steering self-assembly. Here, we used the in-situ AFM technique to capture different changes of peptide coverage as well as lengthening and widening rates depending on peptide concentrations, show the distinct boundary dynamics of two stabilized peptide domains, and resolve the molecular resolution structural differences and specific orientation of peptide on both nanomaterials. Moreover, ex-situ results showed that the nanomaterial layers tuned the opposite changes of nanowire heights and densities and displayed the different water-resistance stabilities on both nanomaterials. This work provides a basis for understanding nanomaterials steering peptide self-assembly and using hybrid bionanomaterials as a scaffold, enabling for potential biosensing and bioelectronics applications.

Indium-free flexible NiO/Ag NW composite transparent conductive thin films for transparent heater

The rapid oxidation and decomposition of the Ag nanowires (Ag NWs) in ambient conditions can lead to irreversible structural damage, largely overshadows their practical application in transparent conducting films. In this paper, we develop the highly transparent and low resistance composite thin films with a bilayer structure composed of NiO and Ag NWs. The transmittance and sheet resistance can be adjusted via controlling the density of nanowires. The NiO/Ag NW composites show a high figure of merit of 224 with the sheet resistance of 7.2 Ω/sq. and the average optical transmittance is about 80.3 % in the visible range. The mechanisms of improved transmittance and conductivity of NiO/Ag NW composites are proposed. Moreover, the resistance has no significant change after taping test, suggesting a strong adhesion of NiO/Ag NWs to the PET substrate. Furthermore, flexible NiO/Ag NW TCFs display an excellent stability to resist high temperature, high humidity and strong oxidation environment. Finally, transparent heater employing the flexible NiO/Ag NW TCFs as the electrode is obtained, showing a satisfactory heating behavior.

Microstructure-dependent particulate filtration using multifunctional metallic nanowire foams.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the urgent need for the development of efficient, durable, reusable and recyclable filtration media for the deep-submicron size range. Here we demonstrate a multifunctional filtration platform using porous metallic nanowire foams that are efficient, robust, antimicrobial, and reusable, with the potential to further guard against multiple hazards. We have investigated the foam microstructures, detailing how the growth parameters influence the overall surface area and characteristic feature size, as well as the effects of the microstructures on the filtration performance. Nanogranules deposited on the nanowires during electrodeposition are found to greatly increase the surface area, up to 20 m2 g-1. Surprisingly, in the high surface area regime, the overall surface area gained from the nanogranules has little correlation with the improvement in capture efficiency. However, nanowire density and diameter play a significant role in the capture efficiency of PM0.3 particles, as do the surface roughness of the nanowire fibers and their characteristic feature sizes. Antimicrobial tests on the Cu foams show a >99.9995% inactivation efficiency after contacting the foams for 30 seconds. These results demonstrate promising directions to achieve a highly efficient multifunctional filtration platform with optimized microstructures.

Sodium ion pre-intercalation regulates the electron density and structural stability of vanadium oxide nanowires for Ca–ion batteries

Benefiting from the abundant resource, low cost, and high operating potential, calcium–ion batteries (CIBs) have attracted great attention as emerging energy storage devices over lithium-based systems.

Pulse-Electrodeposition and Growth Mechanism of Nanotwinned Copper Nanowires inside High Aspect-Ratio Anodic Aluminum Oxide

Nanotwinned copper (nt-Cu) has proven to possess many fascinating physical/chemical properties. However, it is still challenging to control the twin density and its orientation especially for high aspect-ratio Cu vias. Here, a matrix of nt-Cu nanowires (aspect ratio > 150) with dense coherent twin boundaries (CTBs) perpendicular to the growth direction were deposited in porous anodic aluminium oxide vias by pulse electrodeposition. We changed the pulse on/off duration to control the degree of (111) growth texture and twin density of the nt-Cu nanowires. A small anodic current in the pulse-off period enhanced (111) crystal texture and CTB formation during the bottom-up filling process. With the analysis of twin density, we proposed that the nanoscale twinning was activated by facet-dependent crystal growth and stress accumulation/relaxation behaviour during pulse electrodeposition. The interplay between on/off period and bias potential could modulate the twin density. Also, the sulfate adsorbates were proved to play an important role in the stress accumulation process. This study could be implemented in fabricating Cu interconnect in nanoelectronic devices and nanoelectromechanical systems. Figure 1

Multiscale Electrical Response Assessment of Metal Nanowire Transparent Electrodes: A Computational Strategy

Transparent electrodes made of random distributions of metal nanowires (NWs) are appealing for optoelectronic devices, solar cells, light emitting diodes, and transparent heaters. While these electrodes are comparable to thin films in terms of electrical conductivity and transparency, their network structure allows limiting the amount of conductive material and makes them suitable for low-cost solution-based deposition methods, contributing to an overall costs reduction. Despite these advantages, an even material utilization at different length scales is difficult to achieve. The homogeneous distribution of electric current (electrical homogeneity) is indeed not guaranteed in nanowire electrodes but is crucial for the stability of the electrode and actually desirable in most applications. Despite the relevance of this feature, it is common practice to perform qualitative assessments at the electrode scale, overlooking local effects. To address this issue, we have developed a computational strategy to aid in the design of nanowire electrodes with improved electrical homogeneity.We present a computational approach that allows an objective, quantitative, and systematic assessment of the electrical homogeneity. The approach enables a multiscale comparison of electrodes with different NW content and material properties. Nanowire electrodes are modeled as two-dimensional networks of stick and junction resistors (with resistance Rw and Rj, respectively) to simulate the electric conduction process. Electrodes are discretized into regular grids of squares and the electrical power of the network contained in each square is computed. The mismatch between the areal power density of the entire electrode and that of the squares provides a quantitative electrical homogeneity evaluation. Repeating the analysis with squares of different size yields an evaluation that spans across length scales. A scalar indicator, coined the homogeneity index, summarizes the results of the multiscale evaluation.Parametric studies are performed by varying nanowire content and nanowire-to-junction resistance ratio Rw/Rj. We show that electrical homogeneity improves as i) NW density increases, and ii) junction resistance reduces. The ideal condition of negligible junction resistance (Rw >> Rj) leads to the best-case scenario and guarantees the highest rate of improvement of electrical homogeneity with NW content. Nevertheless, we observe that under condition Rw ≈ Rj the response of the system approaches the response of a system meeting the ideal condition Rw >> Rj (15% difference at most in terms of homogeneity index). We therefore conclude that reducing the junction resistance excessively (with the aim of achieving Rw/Rj > 1) may not always be a worthwhile strategy, as it results in only a marginal improvement in terms of electrical homogeneity.The proposed strategy is employed to assess the electrical homogeneity of silver nanowire electrodes through the analysis of scanning electron microscopy images. Our results agree with the outcomes of the experimental assessment performed on the same electrodes.

Magnetization processes in two-dimensional arrays of iron nanowires

Arrays of iron nanowires (NWs) obtained by template-assisted electrodeposition constitute a promising composite material characterized by a combination of high magnetization in the filler and perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. The properties of these composites arise from the interplay between the behavior of individual NWs and their magnetostatic interactions. In this study, we investigated NW arrays with identical wire diameters but varying spatial arrangements. Major hysteresis loops were studied under various field directions relative to the NW axis. Key parameters such as the slope of the magnetization curve, saturation magnetization, and coercive force were quantified. Additionally, FORC (First Order Reversal Curve) measurements were conducted with the field oriented longitudinally with respect to the NW, offering insights into the inhomogeneity of the demagnetizing field influenced by the NW array's configuration. In the sample with the highest NW density, we observed isotropic behavior of the effective demagnetizing field, and we proposed an explanation for this phenomenon using the effective media approach. Micromagnetic simulations revealed that the magnetic behavior of individual NWs with a 100 nm diameter can be described as an interchange between volumes characterized by vortex and uniform magnetization patterns. Calculations of the demagnetizing field using the effective medium model demonstrated excellent agreement with experimental data across arrays featuring different NW densities. Remarkably, the quantitative consistency of coercive field values obtained from micromagnetic simulations and experimental measurements in the range of angles from 0° to 45° for the studied samples underscores the structural homogeneity of the obtained NWs.

Large-area epitaxial growth of InAs nanowires and thin films on hexagonal boron nitride by metal organic chemical vapor deposition

Large-area epitaxial growth of III–V nanowires and thin films on van der Waals substrates is key to developing flexible optoelectronic devices. In our study, large-area InAs nanowires and planar structures are grown on hexagonal boron nitride templates using metal organic chemical vapor deposition method without any catalyst or pre-treatments. The effect of basic growth parameters on nanowire yield and thin film morphology is investigated. Under optimised growth conditions, a high nanowire density of 2.1 109 cm−2 is achieved. A novel growth strategy to achieve uniform InAs thin film on h-BN/SiO2/Si substrate is introduced. The approach involves controlling the growth process to suppress the nucleation and growth of InAs nanowires, while promoting the radial growth of nano-islands formed on the h-BN surface. A uniform polycrystalline InAs thin film is thus obtained over a large area with a dominant zinc-blende phase. The film exhibits near-band-edge emission at room temperature and a relatively high Hall mobility of 399 cm−2/(Vs). This work suggests a promising path for the direct growth of large-area, low-temperature III–V thin films on van der Waals substrates.

Chemiresistive room temperature NO2 sensor based on nitrogen doped zinc oxide nanowires

The prevalence of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the atmosphere is causing a steady increase in air pollution. As such, there is an urgent need to create a sensitive and energy-efficient NO2 gas sensor to ensure environmental and health safety. In this study, we explore the effectiveness of nitrogen-doped zinc oxide nanowires in detecting harmful NO2 gas. Through the hydrothermal method, we synthesized zinc oxide (NW-0) and nitrogen-doped zinc oxide nanowire sensors (NW-1, NW-2 & NW-4). The introduction of nitrogen induced changes in both the crystallite size and nanowire density in ZnO. Additionally, an increase in oxygen vacancy concentration was observed with nitrogen doping. At room temperature, the NW-2 sensor exhibited exceptional NO2 sensing performance (response of 110) compared to NW-0 sensor (response of 1.9) for 10 ppm of gas. The NW-2 sensor also demonstrated a rapid response/recovery time of 50 s/5 s for a 10 ppm NO2 concentration. Moreover, the sensor showed stability over an extended period, minimal response variation with changes in relative humidity, and selectivity towards NO2 over other gases. Complementing the experimental findings, density functional theory (DFT) calculations were employed to estimate the adsorption energies of NO2 on the sensor surface.

On-Chip Monolithically Integrated UltravioletLow-Threshold Plasmonic Metal-Semiconductor Heterojunction Nanolasers.

The metal-semiconductor heterojunction is imperative for the realization of electrically driven nanolasers for chip-level platforms. Progress in developing such nanolasers has hitherto rarely been realized, however, because of their complexity in heterojunction fabrication and the need to use noble metals that are incompatible with microelectronic manufacturing. Most plasmonic nanolasers lase either above a high threshold (101 -103 MW cm-2 ) or at a cryogenic temperature, and lasing is possible only after they are removed from the substrate to avoid the large ohmic loss and the low modal reflectivity, making monolithic fabrication impossible. Here, for the first time, record-low-threshold, room-temperature ultraviolet (UV) lasing of plasmon-coupled core-shell nanowires that are directly grown on silicon is demonstrated. The naturally formed core-shell metal-semiconductor heterostructure of the nanowires leads to a 100-fold improvement in growth density over previous results. This unprecedentedly high nanowire density creates intense plasmonic resonance, which is outcoupled to the resonant Fabry-Pérot microcavity. By boosting the emission strength by a factor of 100, the hybrid photonic-plasmonic system successfully facilitates a record-low laser threshold of 12kW cm-2 with a spontaneous emission coupling factor as high as ≈0.32 in the 340-360nm range. Such architecture is simple and cost-competitive for future UV sources in silicon integration.

Dopant segregation effects on ohmic contact formation in nanoscale silicon

The impact of boron dopant segregation on the carrier density in silicon nanowires and ohmic contact formation is studied. Based on electrical measurements of individual nanowires and a secondary ion mass spectroscopy study, we show that an oxidation at high temperatures reduces the active carrier density of the silicon nanowires due to the onset of dopant segregation. On the other hand, improved ohmic contact resistivities as low as 6E-7 Ω⋅cm2 is achieved by dopant surface segregation during the thermal formation of platinum silicided contacts. We show, that the contact resistivity decreases with increasing contact pad area for silicided, as well as non-silicide nanowires. Furthermore, it is also demonstrated that the achieved ohmic contacts can be used to realize junctionless nanowire transistors.

Growth evolution and polarization-dependent photoluminescence of lateral InSb/CdTe nanowires

The evolution of lateral InSb nanowires (NW) grown on CdTe (001) substrate by increasing of the InSb thickness is reported. At 10-nm growth of InSb, NW with narrow lateral width of ∼ 70 nm and high NW density (∼18 μm−1) are obtained. The evolutional description of InSb NW growth based on the atomic force microscopic characterization is presented. The intrinsic strain at the interface and top InSb layer is revealed by x-ray diffraction analysis. The strong polarization-dependent photoluminescence (PL) of NW is observed. The polarization degree of NW is ∼ 80% and 56% when the excited laser and the emission PL are polarized, respectively. The latter can be attributed to the shape anisotropy.

Density control of GaN nanowires at the wafer scale using self-assembled SiN x patches on sputtered TiN(111)

The self-assembly of heteroepitaxial GaN nanowires using either molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) or metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) mostly results in wafer-scale ensembles with ultrahigh (>10 μm−2) or ultralow (<1 μm−2) densities, respectively. A simple means to tune the density of well-developed nanowire ensembles between these two extremes is generally lacking. Here, we examine the self-assembly of SiN x patches on TiN(111) substrates which are eventually acting as seeds for the growth of GaN nanowires. We first found that if prepared by reactive sputtering, the TiN surface is characterized by {100} facets for which the GaN incubation time is extremely long. Fast GaN nucleation is only obtained after deposition of a sub-monolayer of SiN x atoms prior to the GaN growth. By varying the amount of pre-deposited SiN x , the GaN nanowire density could be tuned by three orders of magnitude with excellent uniformity over the entire wafer, bridging the density regimes conventionally attainable by direct self-assembly with MBE or MOVPE. The analysis of the nanowire morphology agrees with a nucleation of the GaN nanowires on nanometric SiN x patches. The photoluminescence analysis of single freestanding GaN nanowires reveals a band edge luminescence dominated by excitonic transitions that are broad and blue shifted compared to bulk GaN, an effect that is related to the small nanowire diameter and to the presence of a thick native oxide. The approach developed here can be principally used for tuning the density of most III–V semiconductors nucleus grown on inert surfaces like 2D materials.

Structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of MnSi and Mn4Si7 nanowires

The importance of nanoscale magnetism under tailored phase evolution has been gaining considerable interest in the past few decades, attributable to the surging demand for memory devices and emerging electromagnetism. Herein, we present experimental demonstrations and theoretical studies on the structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of MnSi and Mn4Si7 nanowires grown by thermal chemical vapor deposition. The crystallinity of the nanowires was confirmed by a high-resolution transmission electron microscope and elemental distribution. The ratio of Mn to Si (∼0.96–1.04) indicates uniformity in MnSi composition. Additionally, the Mn4Si7 nanowire has an Mn/Si ratio of ∼0.78–0.87, which deviates from the homogenous Mn4Si7 ratio of ∼ 0.6 due to a higher Mn content at the nucleation sites. We found that the MnSi nanowires remained ferromagnetic (FM), similar to bulk MnSi, whereas the Mn4Si7 nanowires exhibited an FM order in contrast to the non-magnetic nature of bulk Mn4Si7. Field-cooled and zero-field-cooled magnetization curves reveal that the Mn4Si7 nanowires exhibited an FM order with a transition temperature (Tc) above room temperature. In contrast, the MnSi nanowires have a lower Tc of ∼ 30 K. It is noting that the First-principles density functional theory calculations demonstrated that both MnSi and Mn4Si7 nanowires possess a metallic characteristic. The spin-charge density of Mn4Si7 nanowires was found to be localized near the surface, implying a surface-induced magnetism. These findings suggest the possibility of tunning the phase evolution of Si-based nanowires by simply changing the diffusion mechanism of the Mn precursor. These metallic nanowires may be used as nanoscale interconnects and gate electrodes in nanoscale technologies.

Optimisation of the density of copper oxide nanowires synthesized by the electrochemical technique followed by annealing

Optimisation of the density of copper oxide nanowires synthesized by the electrochemical technique followed by annealing

Synthesis of ZnO nanowires by thermal chemical vapor deposition technique: Role of oxygen flow rate

Novel catalyst-free synthesis of hierarchical zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires (NWs) by atmospheric pressure thermal chemical vapor deposition (TCVD) technique and the impact of different oxygen (O2) flow rates (25, 50, 75, and 100 mL/min) on the optical behavior, crystalline structure, emission response, and surface morphology of the prepared samples were studied in detail. The hierarchical ZnO NWs were characterized by ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectrophotometer, X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, and field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) measurements. The physical characteristics of the samples were found to be intensely influenced by the O2 flow rate. UV–Vis spectrophotometer measurements indicated that the optical energy gap (Eg) of the samples varies from 3.24 eV to 3.10 eV with regulating O2 flow rates from 25 to 100 mL/min. XRD analyses confirmed that all the prepared samples were polycrystalline in nature with hexagonal wurtzite-type crystal structure and a strong preferential direction along the (002) plane. Photoluminescence results revealed that oxygen vacancies were the major defects causing the blue emissions. Besides, the higher flow rate of O2 (100 mL/min) was efficient in decreasing the number of oxygen vacancies accountable for wide visible emission band intensity. FESEM images demonstrated a high density of hierarchical ZnO NWs with diameters ranging from 33 ± 2 nm to 88 ± 5 nm. Based on the FESEM observations, the potential growth mechanism of the hierarchical ZnO NWs was a vapor-solid (VS) process. Our simple systematic process for growth and characterization may provide toward the development of the hierarchical ZnO NWs-based gas sensors.

Laser-Induced Au Catalyst Generation for Tailored ZnO Nanostructure Growth.

ZnO nanostructures, semiconductors with attractive optical properties, are typically grown by thermal chemical vapor deposition for optimal growth control. Their growth is well investigated, but commonly results in the entire substrate being covered with identical ZnO nanostructures. At best a limited, binary growth control is achieved with masks or lithographic processes. We demonstrate nanosecond laser-induced Au catalyst generation on Si(100) wafers, resulting in controlled ZnO nanostructure growth. Scanning electron and atomic force microscopy measurements reveal the laser pulse's influence on the substrate's and catalyst's properties, e.g., nanoparticle size and distribution. The laser-induced formation of a thin SiO2-layer on the catalysts plays a key role in the subsequent ZnO growth mechanism. By tuning the irradiation parameters, the width, density, and morphology of ZnO nanostructures, i.e., nanorods, nanowires, and nanobelts, were controlled. Our method allows for maskless ZnO nanostructure designs locally controlled on Si-wafers.