NER: Directed-Assembly of Microscopic Wires from Semiconductor Nanoparticles

利用自发组装形成目标纳米结构有望成为一种革命性的方法，将电子元件的尺寸缩小到(低至)积木的直径(~3 nm)。这一特殊应用的目的是操纵二维半导体纳米粒子群体的相行为，以便在电路中任意选择的点之间形成微观互连。这一目标将通过以下目标的成功实现：(1)确定相行为与实验参数(盖层厚度和粒子直径)的依赖关系，从而确定偶极粒子间相互作用驱动这些粒子自发组织的程度。(2)在简单的电路中，在指定点之间以介电泳法诱导半导体纳米颗粒的微细导线的形成。作为拟议研究的结果，我们希望已经证明，可以调整实验参数，以便在电路中任意选择的点之间自发形成微观互连。在本申请中提出的研究有可能解决自组装的微观组件与宏观电子学的接口问题，从而允许对组件的电性能进行实验评估。这一特征将是必要的，以便确定可有效地应用该组成部分的实际任务。确定相行为对实验参数的依赖关系也有望产生对颗粒间势能的定量洞察，这将为设计、实施和改进组装靶向结构的方法提供进一步的指导。

Employing spontaneous assembly in the formation of targeted nanostructures holds promise as a revolutionary approach to shrinking the dimensions of electronic components down to (as low as) the diameter of the building block (~3nm). The objective of this particular application is to manipulate the phase behavior of 2D populations of semiconductor nanoparticles in order to form microscopic interconnects between arbitrarily chosen points in a circuit. This objective will be attained through the successful pursuit of the following aims: (1) To determine the dependence of the phase behavior on the experimental parameters (capping layer thickness and particle diameter), such that the degree to which dipolar interparticle interactions drive the spontaneous organization of these populations will be determined. (2) To dielectrophoretically induce the formation of microscopic wires of semiconductor nanoparticles between designated points in a simple circuit. As an outcome of the proposed investigations, we expect to have demonstrated that the experimental parameters can be adjusted so that microscopic interconnects spontaneously form between arbitrarily chosen points in a circuit. The research proposed in this application has the potential to solve the problem of interfacing a self-assembled, microscopic component with macroscopic electronics, thereby allowing for experimental evaluation of the electrical properties of the component. This characterization will be necessary in order to identify practical tasks to which the component can be fruitfully applied. It is also expected that determining the dependence of the phase behavior on the experimental parameters will generate quantitative insight into the interparticle potential-insight that will provide further guidance in designing, implementing, and improving methods for assembling targeted structures.