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Electrostatic charging and manipulation of semiconductor nanowires

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Abstract

It was observed that silicon and germanium nanowires can exhibit significant electrostatic charging and respond strongly to externally applied electric fields. This includes nanowires in air and dispersed in low-conductivity, low-dielectric-constant solvents such as hexane, toluene, and benzene. The electrostatic charging of semiconductor nanowires was investigated as a tool for nanowire manipulation. By charging a substrate, nanowires could be deposited on surfaces with very high coverage and onto selected locations of the surface. The density of deposited nanowires could be adjusted systematically by varying the strength of the electric field. Alternating electric fields, applied between two electrodes, resulted in nanowires oriented with respect to the field orientation.

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Acknowledgment

This research was supported by the Robert A. Welch Foundation (F-1464) and the Air Force Research Laboratory (FA8650-07-2-5061). V.C. Holmberg acknowledges the Fannie and John Hertz Foundation and the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program for financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Center for Nano and Molecular Science and Technology, Texas Materials Institute, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712, USA

    Vincent C. Holmberg, Reken N. Patel & Brian A. Korgel

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  1. Vincent C. Holmberg
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  2. Reken N. Patel
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  3. Brian A. Korgel
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Correspondence to Brian A. Korgel.

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Holmberg, V.C., Patel, R.N. & Korgel, B.A. Electrostatic charging and manipulation of semiconductor nanowires. Journal of Materials Research 26, 2305–2310 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2011.152

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2011.152

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