Nanomaterials

Introduction

Unlocking the Potential of Nanomaterials: Innovations Driving Future Industries
Nanomaterials are substances engineered with dimensions on the nanometer scale, offering unique properties and applications. These materials can exhibit exceptional strength, conductivity, or reactivity due to their high surface area-to-volume ratio. They are used in diverse fields like electronics, medicine, and environmental science. Examples include carbon nanotubes, quantum dots, and nanowires. Nanomaterials hold promise for revolutionizing industries by enabling innovations in energy storage, drug delivery, and pollution remediation.

Due to the intrinsic nature of nanomaterials being nano-sized, it is evident that they cannot be characterized and embedded in a functional device as such. Nanomaterials rather need to be contacted on the nanoscale and then macroscopically connected to the outside macroworld by efficient nanocontacting workflows.
Application

Graphene / 2D materials

Graphene and other 2D materials, such as transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), are atomically thin substances with unique properties. Graphene, a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice, exhibits exceptional strength, conductivity, and flexibility. TMDs like molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) possess semiconductor properties suitable for electronics. hBN provides a stable and insulating substrate for 2D materials. These materials have promising applications in electronics, photonics, and energy storage due to their novel characteristics. Ongoing research explores their synthesis, manipulation, and integration into devices to unlock their full potential in next-generation technologies.
SEM image of a graphene device
Carbon nanotube thermal gradient motor based on two suspended multi-layer graphene heaters, connected by a multi-walled carbon nanotube, Marianna Sledzinska, ICN2, Spain
SEM image of a freestanding multi-terminal graphene device
Freestanding multi-terminal graphene device, Matthias Kühne, Max-Planck-Institute for Solid State
Research, Germany
Freestanding multi-terminal graphene device M. Kühne, MPI Stuttgart, Germany
Application

Nanotubes, nanowires, nanowhiskers

Nanotubes, nanowires, and nanowhiskers are nanostructured materials with unique properties and applications. Carbon nanotubes are cylindrical structures made of carbon atoms, exhibiting exceptional strength and electrical conductivity. Nanowires are ultra-thin wires typically made of metals or semiconductors, used in electronics and sensors due to their small size and high surface-to-volume ratio. Nanowhiskers are elongated nanostructures resembling whiskers, offering mechanical reinforcement in composite materials. These nanomaterials hold promise in diverse fields such as electronics, medicine, and materials science for their potential to enhance performance and enable novel applications. Ongoing research aims to optimize their synthesis and integrate them into advanced technologies.
SEM image of a Silicon nanowires promoting anti-bacterial behaviour
Silicon nanowires promoting anti-bacterial behaviour, Denver Linklater, Swinburne University of Technology, Australia
Electrical nm-contact fingers for Carbon Nanotube transport measurement
Electrical nm-contact fingers for Carbon Nanotube transport measurement, Adrian Bachthold, University of Basel, Switzerland
SEM image of silicon nanowire mechanical resonators
Free-suspended silicon nanowires (SiNW), Jordi Llobet, IMB-CNM (CSIC), Spain
Application

Electron beam induced deposition / etching

Electron beam induced deposition (EBID) and electron beam induced etching (EBIE) are advanced nanofabrication techniques that use focused electron beams to deposit or remove material at precise locations on a substrate. In EBID, gas molecules are dissociated by the electron beam to deposit a solid material onto the substrate, enabling additive fabrication of nanostructures. In EBIE, the electron beam interacts with the substrate, causing material removal through processes like sputtering or dissociation. These techniques are used in semiconductor device fabrication, nanoelectronics, and nanomaterial synthesis. EBID and EBIE offer high spatial resolution and control, making them valuable tools for nanoscale patterning and modification.
SEM image showing nanoprobing with EBID
Nanoprobing of freely suspended Pt-nanowire, deposited on gold contact pads with EBID
3D nanosculpturing by EBID
3D nanosculpturing by electron beam induced deposition (EBID)
Application

Focused ion beam induced deposition

Focused ion beam (FIB) induced deposition and etching are nanofabrication techniques using a focused ion beam to selectively deposit or remove material on a substrate at a very fine scale. In FIB-induced deposition, precursor gas molecules are injected into the ion beam, causing localized material deposition. This allows for precise additive fabrication of nanostructures. Conversely, FIB-induced etching involves directing the ion beam to sputter or remove material from specific areas on the substrate. These techniques are valuable for rapid prototyping, repairing semiconductor devices, circuit edit applications and preparing samples for transmission electron microscopy. FIB-induced deposition and etching offer high resolution and control over material modification at the nanoscale.
SEM Image of tungsten metal lines produced by FIBID
Focused Ion Beam Induced Deposition (FIBID) of tungsten metal lines to bridge contact pads with electrical devices. Au+ ions from AuGeSi have been applied a precursor to deposit the lines. Courtesy of Dr. Carlos Errando Herranz and Max Tao, Prof. Dirk Englund’s group, MIT.nano
SEM image of a modified circuit by FIBID
Deposition of additional connections by FIBID to modify the design of circuits for electrical characterisation. Courtesy of Dr. Jawaher Almutlaq, Prof. Dirk Englund’s group, MIT.nano
Image of a plasmonic nanoantenna produced by FIBID
Bottom-up fabrication of a plasmonic nanoantenna using FIBID with Si ions. The 3D helix structure has been deposited directly from Pt precursor onto the surface. Design courtesy of Roland Salut, Institute FEMTO-ST, Besançon (France)
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