Characterization of Directly-deposited Germanium Nanostructures
EMSL Project ID
33699
Abstract
The fabrication of a modern microprocessor requires hundreds of steps for creating and connecting a variety of electronic components. Direct deposition of materials is particularly attractive because it merges lithography and synthesis in one step and eliminates the need for difficult registry. Previous work has demonstrated direct nanodeposition using an atomic force microscope (AFM). The region between the tip of an AFM and a sample constitutes a unique nanoscale environment where highly localized chemical reactions can occur. Current efforts in our research group focus on deposition of nanoscale semiconductor materials via the application of a potential difference between the probe of the AFM and a conducting surface to trigger field induced or electrochemical reactions in a liquid precursor. We are working to expand the scope of this technique to the growth of a variety of inorganic nanowires and measuring their properties in devices, with a view towards development of precision one-step fabrication of multiplexed biological and environmental electronic and optoelectronic sensors. The immediate goal of the proposed research is to test the theory that high field deposition in the presence of an inorganic precursor yields nanoscale features containing the inorganic backbone element(s) found in the precursor; in this case germanium is deposited from diphenylgermane. The requested characterization (SEM/FIB, TEM, Auger, ToF-SIMS) should also yield information as to the bonding environment of the germanium, i.e. is carbon and/or oxygen incorporated into the deposited material. Confirmation of the theory would be a novel contribution to the field of AFM lithography.
Project Details
Project type
Limited Scope
Start Date
2009-04-13
End Date
2009-06-13
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator