Self-Integration of Carbon-Nanotube Sensors in Functional Integrated Circuits

本文主要研究了碳纳米管（CNT）传感器与功能集成电路的自集成。本研究的目的是开发一种工艺，将碳纳米管传感器集成到已经存在于芯片表面的功能ic中（如放大器、a /D转换器、信号处理器和cpu）。所提出的方法在碳纳米管传感器的生长中具有独特的优势。所提出的过程是一个冷过程，因为它将局部加热纳米级区域。此外，碳纳米管生长沿电场自对准，连接电极，使碳纳米管传感器可以集成到功能集成电路中。所提出的工艺具有成本效益，因为它是一个自对准过程，满足未来基于碳纳米管的传感器的应用需求。知识优势：碳纳米管（CNTs）作为传感器的基本组成部分已被广泛应用，包括生物传感器、气体传感器、声学传感器、光学传感器、热传感器、应变传感器、质量传感器、电子传感器、流量传感器和压力传感器。与传统传感器相比，碳纳米管传感器具有灵敏度高、功耗低、结构紧凑、成品率高、成本低等优点。这项研究有可能彻底改变制造基于碳纳米管的传感器的效率、成本和定位精度。更广泛的影响：由于传感器在许多行业中使用，预计影响将是深远的。研究结果将通过网站和会议传播。一名来自代表性不足群体的研究生和两名本科生将被招募参与这个项目。研究成果将整合到现有的高级本科/研究生课程中，并通过年度公开研讨会向K-12学校的教师和学生分发展示纳米尺度碳纳米管传感器生长和碳纳米管传感器应用的基本思想的动画工具包。

This proposal focuses on self-integration of carbon-nanotube (CNT) sensors with functional integrated circuits (ICs). The objective of this research is to develop a process that will integrate the CNT sensors in functional ICs that already exist on the chip surfaces (such as amplifiers, A/D converters, signal processors, and CPUs). The proposed methodology has unique advantages over state-of-the-art methods in the growth of CNT sensors. The proposed process is a cold process because it will locally heat a nanoscale region. In addition, the CNT growth is self-aligned along the electrical field, connecting the electrodes so that the CNT sensors can be integrated into functional ICs. The proposed process is cost-effective because it is a self-aligned process, which meets the application needs required for future CNT-based sensors. Intellectual Merit: Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been explored as basic building blocks of sensors for many applications, including biosensors, gas sensors, acoustic sensors, optical sensors, thermal sensors, strain sensors, mass sensors, electronic sensors, flow sensors, and pressure sensors. Compared with conventional sensors, CNT sensors have the advantages of high sensitivity, low power consumption, compactness, high yield and low cost. This research has the potential to revolutionize the efficiency, cost, and positioning accuracy of fabricating CNT-based sensors. Broader Impacts: Impacts are expected to be far reaching because sensors are used in many industries. Research results will be disseminated via a website and through conferences. One graduate student from an underrepresented group and two undergraduate students will be recruited to work on this project. Research results will be integrated into an existing senior undergraduate/graduate course and an animation kit showing the basic ideas on CNT sensor growth at the nanoscale and applications of CNT sensors will be developed and distributed to teachers and students at K-12 schools through annual public seminars.