NER: Manufacturing of Superionic Active Metallic Nanostructures

该项目利用一种创新的纳米制造工艺，固态超离子冲压，以实现一套离子调制的活性纳米结构。这种电化学纳米压印技术与使用超离子导体材料的具有增强的转导和信息处理的纳米离子装置的融合开辟了经济上可行的活性纳米结构的新途径。具体来说，该团队正在探索：（a）用于太赫兹频率的可调谐纳米线谐振器/天线，这将可能导致新一代高速光电互连;（B）用于化学传感亚飞升分析物的等离子体器件 以及（c）需要显著较低电压并以高得多的应变率操作的机械致动器 并且能够适应恶劣的环境。此外，我们还进行了离子传输的计算和实验表征的基础研究，（固态）超离子导体在纳米级，导致纳米结构的生长的基本理解，通过离子传导和战略，积极控制和调制它。这，沿着的能力，制造这样的纳米结构，创造了一个全新的平台，为实际设计和制造未来的机械，化学和电子电路。该项目还通过向学生介绍先进的光学和光子学，纳米系统设计，集成和制造工艺，为纳米制造的教育目标做出贡献。努力包括本科生的研究机会，参与伊利诺伊大学工程学院内研究中心的外联活动和计划，并确定和参与工程研究和教育中代表性不足的少数民族和女学生。此外，PI正在亚特兰大举行的2007年ASME MSEC会议上组织一个关于纳米制造的专题研讨会。

This project exploits an innovative nanomanufacturing process, solid-state superionic stamping to realize a suite of ionically modulated active nanostructures. The convergence of this electrochemical nanoimprint technique with the nano-ionic devices with enhanced transduction and information processing using superionic conductor materials opens up new routes to economically viable, active nanostructures. Specifically the team is exploring: (a) tunable nanowire resonators/antennae for THz frequencies, which will potentially lead to a new generation of high speed opto-electronic interconnects; (b) plasmonic devices for chemically sensing sub-femtoliter analytes and (c) mechanical actuators that require dramatically lower voltages and operate with much higher strain rat es and are amenable to harsh environment. In addition, we undertake fundamental research in computational and experimental characterization of ionic transport in (solid-state) superionic conductors at nanoscale, leading to a fundamental understanding of nanostructure growth by ionic conduction and strategies to actively control and modulate it. This, along with the ability to fabricate such nanostructures, creates a whole new platform for practical design and manufacturing of future mechanical, chemical and electronic circuitry.This project also contributes to educational goals of nanomanufacturing by introducing students to advanced optics and photonics, nanoscale systems design, integration and manufacturing processes. Efforts include research opportunities to undergraduates, participation in outreach activities and programs of research centers within the college of engineering at the University of Illinois and to identify and engage underrepresented minority and female students in engineering research and education. In addition, the PIs are organizing a focused symposium on the Nanomanufacturing at the 2007 ASME MSEC meeting in Atlanta.