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Simple assembly of long nanowires through substrate stretching
Jianjin Dong1, Nasser Mohieddin Abukhdeir, Irene A Goldthorpe
1Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada.
Nanotechnology
|November 13, 2015
Summary
This study introduces a simple, low-cost method for aligning nanowires (NWs) using stretched polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) films and a lubricant to prevent breakage. The technique achieves high-quality NW alignment, quantified by an order parameter up to 0.97.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Polymer Science
Background:
- Nanowire (NW) alignment is crucial for various applications, but existing methods often face challenges with complexity, cost, and preserving NW integrity.
- Quantifying the quality of NW alignment remains an area needing improvement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a simple, low-cost, large-area, and versatile method for aligning both substrate-grown and solution-synthesized nanowires.
- To address limitations of process complexity and nanowire breakage in alignment techniques.
- To introduce a reliable method for quantifying the degree of nanowire alignment.
Main Methods:
- Alignment of metal and semiconductor nanowires (average length up to 16 μm) using the stretching of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) films.
- Utilization of Poly[oxy(methyl-1,2-ethanediyl)] as a lubricant to minimize nanowire breakage during the alignment process.
- Development of a straightforward image processing technique to quantify the alignment quality.
Main Results:
- Achieved superior nanowire alignment due to the high stretching ratio of PVA films.
- Successfully prevented nanowire breakage using the specified lubricant.
- Quantified alignment quality with an order parameter (S) reaching as high as 0.97, indicating excellent alignment.
Conclusions:
- The reported PVA film stretching method offers a highly effective and accessible approach for nanowire alignment.
- The developed technique overcomes common limitations, providing a scalable solution for diverse nanowire types.
- The quantification method provides a reliable metric for assessing alignment quality in nanomaterial fabrication.
