CAREER: An Integrated Approach to the Control of Nanoscale Electronic Properties

这笔赠款的研究目标是了解和利用高表面体积比在纳米级系统中的后果，例如碳纳米管。由于单壁纳米管具有较高的比表面积和体积比，局部化学环境对其性能有很大的影响。自组装单分子膜将被用作化学可调节的表面，在其上放置碳纳米管。控制表面化学将允许控制半导体纳米管的电阻和掺杂。表面将在不同的位置使用不同的化学物质进行图案处理。跨越这些区域边界的纳米管将具有图案化的掺杂，从而导致可控纳米管器件的形成。如果成功，这些实验为大规模制造纳米管设备提供了可能性。除了这种潜在的应用，了解当地的化学环境如何影响纳米管的电阻在科学上也很重要。密切相关的实验将研究纳米晶体阵列。将理解和利用阵列的电子环境中的局部变化的后果来控制阵列属性。这两组实验的目标都是通过对超小材料及其周围环境的综合观察，更好地控制纳米材料的性能。该项目的教育目标是增加高中毕业后追求科学的女性人数。从高中到大学的过渡被认为是一个可以更好地满足学生需求的时期。特别是，导师式的互动将被用来更好地解释在本科早期开始一门科学课程的重要性和提供的机会。将制定一个促进这些互动的方案，利用现有的外联活动，以便更好地为高三和高年级学生服务。该计划将通过个人接触和基于网络的互动提供实用的职业信息。%这项资助的研究目标是更好地控制碳纳米管的电学性能。纳米管将被放置在化学性质受控良好的表面。我们将利用纳米管与表面的相互作用来控制纳米管的电阻。表面化学的改变将被用来改变纳米管的性质。通过创建不同表面化学的图案，我们将在放置在这些表面上的纳米管中创建图案化的电学特性。如果成功，这种构图将使一种在纳米管中制造晶体管的新方法成为可能。这一新工艺有可能生产出比目前可能的更高密度的晶体管。这也是朝着解决将许多超小型晶体管连接在一起的问题--互连问题--迈出的一步。在密切相关的实验中，我们将研究局部电环境对金属纳米晶体的影响。就像刚刚描述的纳米管实验一样，这些纳米晶体实验的目标是更好地了解如何使用超小型电子设备及其周围环境的综合视图来控制纳米级材料的电学性能。该项目的教育目标是增加高中毕业后追求科学的女性人数。从高中到大学的过渡被认为是一个可以更好地满足学生需求的时期。特别是，导师式的互动将被用来更好地解释在本科早期开始一门科学课程的重要性和提供的机会。将制定一个促进这些互动的方案，利用现有的外联活动，以便更好地为高三和高年级学生服务。该计划将通过个人联系和基于网络的互动提供实用的职业信息。

The research objective of this grant is to understand and exploit the consequences of high surface to volume ratios in nanoscale systems, such as carbon nanotubes. Because of their high surface to volume ratio, the local chemical environment has a large impact on single wall nanotube properties. Self-assembled monolayers will be used as chemically adjustable surfaces on which to lay carbon nanotubes. Controlling the surface chemistry will allow control of semiconducting nanotube resistance and doping. Surfaces will be patterned with different chemistries at different locations. Nanotubes stretched across the boundaries of these regions will have patterned doping, leading to the formation of controlled nanotube devices. If successful, these experiments offer the potential for large-scale nanotube device fabrication. In addition to such potential applications, it is scientifically important to understand how local chemical environments affect nanotube resistances. Closely related experiments will study nanocrystal arrays. The consequences of local variations in the electronic environment of the array will be understood and exploited to control the array properties. The goal of both these groups of experiments is to better control the properties of nanoscale materials, using an integrated view of the ultra-small material and its surrounding environment. The educational objective of this project is to increase the number of women who pursue science past high school. The transition from high school to college has been identified as a time when students' needs can be better addressed. In particular, mentor-type interactions will be used to better explain the importance of, and the opportunity offered by beginning a science curriculum early in the undergraduate years. A program to enable these interactions will be developed which leverages existing outreach in order to better serve high school juniors and seniors. The program will provide practical career information through both personal contact and web-based interactions.%%%The research objective of this grant is to better control the electrical properties of carbon nanotubes. Nanotubes will be placed on surfaces with well controlled chemical properties. We will use the interaction of the nanotube with the surface to control the nanotube resistance. Changes in the surface chemistry will be used to change the nanotube properties. By creating patterns of different surface chemistry, we will create patterned electrical properties in nanotubes placed on these surfaces. If successful, this patterning will enable a new method to create transistors in nanotubes. This new process has the potential to produce a higher density of transistors than currently possible. It is also a step towards a solution to the problem of connecting many ultra-small transistors together - the interconnect problem. In closely related experiments, we will study the effect of the local electrical environment on nanometer-size crystals of metal. As is the case with the nanotube experiments just described, the goal of these nanocrystal experiments is to better understand how to control the electrical properties of nanometer-scale materials, using an integrated view of the ultra-small electrical device and its surrounding environment. The educational objective of this project is to increase the number of women who pursue science past high school. The transition from high school to college has been identified as a time when students' needs can be better addressed. In particular, mentor-type interactions will be used to better explain the importance of, and the opportunity offered by beginning a science curriculum early in the undergraduate years. A program to enable these interactions will be developed which leverages existing outreach in order to better serve high school juniors and seniors. The program will provide practical career information through both personal contact and web-based interactions.***