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Flow-assisted Dielectrophoresis: A Low Cost Method for the Fabrication of High Performance Solution-processable Nanowire Devices
Published on: December 7, 2017
Quantitative analysis of parallel nanowire array assembly by dielectrophoresis
Stergios J Papadakis1, Joan A Hoffmann, David Deglau
1Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Milton Eisenhower Research Center, Laurel, MD 20723, USA. Stergios.papadakis@jhuapl.edu
Nanoscale
|December 17, 2010
Summary
This study presents a novel dielectrophoresis (DEP) method for creating ordered nanowire (NW) arrays. The technique precisely controls electric fields and inter-nanowire forces for reproducible, parallel assembly and analysis.
Area of Science:
- Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
- Electrical Engineering
- Materials Science
Background:
- Dielectrophoresis (DEP) is a technique used to manipulate non-uniform polarized particles with non-uniform electric fields.
- Assembling nanowires (NWs) into ordered arrays is crucial for developing advanced electronic devices.
- Controlling NW assembly at the nanoscale requires precise manipulation of forces and fields.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an efficient assembly technique for ordered nanowire arrays using dielectrophoresis (DEP).
- To establish an analysis method for quantifying local electric fields and dielectrophoretic forces during NW assembly.
- To achieve high reproducibility in creating parallel NW arrays by balancing attractive, repulsive, and Brownian forces.
Main Methods:
- Utilized dielectrophoresis (DEP) to assemble nanowires (NWs) between electrodes.
- Tuned electric field magnitudes to balance attractive DEP forces with Brownian motion forces.
- Employed inter-nanowire repulsive forces to promote parallel array formation.
- Applied a particle-tracking code to analyze NW motion from video microscopy data.
Main Results:
- Achieved reproducible assembly of parallel nanowire (NW) arrays.
- Demonstrated quantitative mapping of dielectrophoretic torques and NW-surface interactions.
- Established a method to understand and control NW assembly dynamics.
- Validated the ability to precisely control NW assembly parameters.
Conclusions:
- The described dielectrophoresis (DEP) assembly technique enables the creation of highly ordered nanowire (NW) arrays with high reproducibility.
- The developed analysis method provides quantitative insights into local electric fields and forces, crucial for precise control over NW assembly.
- This approach advances the ability to engineer nanoscale electronic components by offering a deeper understanding and control of nanowire manipulation.
