Manufacturing Micro and Nano Structures in Confined Spaces

High surface area nanostructureUniform crystal growth in a confined space

semiconductor device manufacturing and nanotechnology

Zinc Oxide nanowires are successfully used as an electrode material in a number of devices such as dye sensitized solar cells (DSSC). One of the advantages of using them is having high specific surface area. Techniques such as high aspect ratio nanowires or hierarchical nanowires are used to produce ZnO nanowires with high specific surface area. Another method is suggested for this purpose, which can be used in combination with the above mentioned techniques. Usually Zinc Oxide nanowires are grown on flat surface of the substrate. However, if grown inside a complex three dimensional structure such as deep trenches, this would dramatically increase the specific surface area of the nanowires. Conventional hydrothermal growth of ZnO nanowires provides no space for replenishing chemicals that are necessary for the growth inside the trenches.The novel technique to fabricate ZnO nanowires inside an array of high aspect ratio deep trenches is suggested. A hydrothermal growth of Zinc Oxide nanowires is realized in a confined space through pumping of the heated growth solution through microfluidic channels partially formed by a set of high aspect ratio trenches in Si. Zinc Oxide nanowires were formed inside the trenches, where they would not grow if a conventional hydrothermal method is to be used. Such a structure may be beneficial when Zinc Oxide nanowires are used as an electrode material for devices like DSSC, supercapacitors or any other electrochemical device.

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