NIRT: Single Nanoparticle Devices, A New Technique for Bottom-Up Manufacturing

该项目将用晶体半导体纳米颗粒取代半导体晶片。这将允许建造三维电路(超过一层晶体管)，并将化学和结构上不兼容的单晶材料集成在单一衬底上。这种衬底可以包括低损耗陶瓷或低成本的柔性塑料。高密度的硅烷等离子体将被用于形成这些纳米颗粒。电子和光电子系统通常由集成电路、激光器和其他设备组成，这些设备分别封装和组装在电路板上。这些设备是建立在互不兼容的晶体半导体晶片上的。因此，所需的混合组装方法极大地限制了系统的整体性能。该研究小组已经证明，可以合成尺寸在30到150 nm之间的几乎立方体的单晶硅颗粒。纳米粒子将被带电，静电将被用来在基片上的预定位置组装它们。这将通过从弹性印章进行电荷转移来实现。使用这些纳米粒子的高性能晶体管将被建造出来，并为它们开发数值模型。早期的结果表明肖特基势垒场效应器件最适合这种应用。高分辨率电子显微镜将被用来支持这项工作，特别是关键金属-半导体接触的发展。由于纳米粒子设备是一个新的研究领域，预计毕业的学生将成为该领域的领导者，并将有助于传播这项技术。外展将是NIRT的重要组成部分，因为它将与现有的MRSEC和IGERT外展项目相结合，特别是将美洲原住民学生和教职员工吸引到这个新的研究领域。该组织还预计将在该项目中支持至少两名美国公民女研究生，因为她们目前在IGERT和MRSEC的赞助下在这一领域工作。此外，私人投资促进机构将开发新的网上资源，以教育更广泛的社区关于纳米粒子设备，包括电荷存储设备和纳米粒子/量子点结构。

This project will replace semiconductor wafers with crystalline semiconductor nanoparticles. This would allow the construction of three-dimensional circuits (more than one layer of transistors) and the integration of otherwise chemically and structurally incompatible single-crystal materials on a single substrate. Such substrates could include low loss ceramics or low cost, flexible plastics. High-density silane plasmas will be used for forming these nanoparticles. Electronic and optoelectronic systems are typically built from integrated circuits, lasers, and other devices that are individually packaged and assembled on a board. These devices are built on crystalline semiconductor wafers that are mutually incompatible. The hybrid assembly approach required therefore greatly limits overall system performance. The research group has already shown that nearly cubic, single crystal silicon particles can be synthesized with dimensions of 30 to 150 nm. Nanoparticles will be electrically charged and electrostatic forces will be used to assemble them at predetermined sites on a substrate. This will be accomplished using charge transfer from a flexible stamp. High performance transistors using these nanoparticles will be built and numerical models for them developed. Early results suggest that Schottky barrier field effect devices are most suitable for this application. High resolution electron microscopy will be used to support this work, in particular, the development of the critical metal-semiconductor contacts. Since nanoparticle devices is a new field of study, it is expected that students graduating will become leaders in this field and will help disseminate the technology. Outreach will be an important part of the NIRT as it will integrate with existing MRSEC and IGERT outreach programs, particularly drawing in Native American students and faculty into this new research area. The group also anticipates supporting at least two US citizen female graduate students in the program as they are currently working in this area under IGERT and MRSEC sponsorship. In addition, the PIs will develop new web-based resources to educate the broader community about nanoparticle devices, including both charge storage devices and the nanoparticle/quantum dot structures.