IMR: Development of Instrument: Improving Homogeneity of Quantum Dot Size, Shape, Positioning for Student Training

摘要本提案旨在开发一种新的仪器，以更高的精度和质量制造纳米级粒子。该仪器旨在在特定位置沉积均匀的纳米级晶体，克服当前技术所面临的障碍，这些技术产生的纳米级颗粒尺寸均匀性差，为10%至20%，定位偏差为300或400nm。这些数字严重限制了使用纳米级材料进行创新的机会。相比之下，所提出的仪器基于一种新的生长方法，该方法使用独特设计的纳米级喷嘴来沉积纳米结构，具有将当前均匀性和定位精度提高10倍的潜力，从而开创了纳米材料及其应用的新时代。它创造了制造和探索新材料的机会，通过将纳米级粒子分组在一起形成链、分子或固体状晶格结构的高度有组织的阵列。例如，使用该仪器可以构建新的光学和化学传感器阵列；用于更小、功能更强的电子设备的纳米级电路；或者正好适合处理器芯片的存储器阵列，极大地提高了计算设备的速度。具有新特性的创新材料结构的机会是巨大的，可以导致新的和更好的设备。该提案还将使研究生和本科生有机会领导现有新仪器的设计和制造，以及独特纳米结构的生长和表征。这些学生将探索一条新的途径来实现更均匀的有组织的纳米结构阵列，并认识到它们对特定应用的影响。虽然纳米技术的可能性非常令人兴奋，但由于量子点在尺寸和形状上的较大不均匀性以及成核位置的随机性，它们尚未完全实现。虽然克服这一障碍的努力已经发现了重要的基础科学和技术，以实现改进的均匀性，然而，均匀性仍然在10%到20%左右，定位仅限于量子点大小的顺序。这一建议是基于一种相对较新的增长方法开发一种新工具。定向液滴外延？，这些数字有可能得到显著改善。本提案将构建并探索一种新的仪器，以在特定位置沉积控制体积的液滴。这项技术是基于一个简单的想法，通过一个空心扫描探针尖端的纳米级孔，在结晶之前将液滴直接转移到衬底上。这种技术可以将尺寸上的不均匀性和随机定位至少减少一个数量级。它开启了探索两个量子点之间不同距离的光学行为的可能性。合作排放，在时间，大小和分布上，将是惊人的研究。随着量子点的数量逐渐增加，以探索预期的超辐射发射，事情甚至变得更加令人兴奋。它使研究不同的量子点几何排列甚至组成成为可能。它创造了探索2D或3D量子点阵列，或缺失量子点的量子点阵列的机会。此外，人们还可以探索量子线（QWR），在光学腔中精确排列的量子点，或者新一代的量子线。电路?由qwr连接的qd组成。具有新特性的创新材料结构的机会是巨大的。该提案还将为研究生和本科生提供领导现有仪器的设计和制造以及独特纳米结构的生长和表征的机会。这些学生将探索一条新的途径来实现更均匀的有组织的纳米结构阵列，并认识到它们对特定应用的影响。

NON-TECHNICAL PROJECT ABSTRACTThis proposal is to develop a new instrument that will allow the fabrication of nanoscale particles with much higher precision and quality. The instrument is designed to deposit uniform nanoscale crystals at specific locations and overcome a roadblock faced by current techniques which produce nanoscale particles with poor size uniformity at 10 to 20% with positioning misalignment of 300 or 400nm. These numbers severely limit the opportunities for innovation using nanoscale materials. In contrast, the proposed instrument is based on a new growth approach which uses a uniquely designed nanoscale nozzle to literally deposit nanostructures with a demonstrated potential for 10 times improvement on current uniformity and precision of location, enabling a new era of nanomaterials and their application. It creates the opportunity to fabricate and explore new materials by grouping nanoscale particles together to form highly organized arrays in chain, molecule, or solid like lattice structures. For example, using this instrument one can construct novel optical and chemical sensor arrays; nanoscale circuits for smaller and more functional electronic devices; or memory arrays that fit right on a processor chip, dramatically increasing the speed of computation devices. The opportunity for innovative material structures with novel properties that can lead to new and better devices is enormous.This proposal will also give graduate and undergraduate students the opportunity to lead the design and fabrication of an exiting new instrument as well as the growth and characterization of unique nanostructures. These students will explore a new path to achieve a more homogeneous array of organized nanostructures and recognize their impact with specific applications.TECHNICAL PROJECT ABSTRACT Although the possibilities from nanotechnology are very exciting they have yet to be fully realized due to the rather large inhomogeneity in the size and shape and random position of nucleation that have persistently accompanied the growth of quantum dots. While efforts to overcome this roadblock have uncovered important basic science as well as techniques to achieve improved homogeneity, nevertheless uniformity remains around 10 to 20% and positioning is limited to the order of the quantum dot size. This proposal is to develop a new instrument based on a relatively new growth approach, ?directed droplet epitaxy?, with the potential for significant improvement on these numbers. This proposal will construct and explore a new instrument to deposit a controlled volume of liquid droplets at specific locations. The technique is based on the simple idea of transferring liquid droplets, through a nanoscale hole in a hollow scanning probe tip, directly onto a substrate before crystallizing. This technique can reduce the inhomogeneity in size as well as random positioning by at least an order-of-magnitude. It opens the possibility of exploring the optical behavior of two QDs with varying distance between them. The cooperative emission, in time, magnitude, and distribution, will be amazing to study. Things even get more exciting as the number of QDs is slowly increased to explore the superradiant emission expected. It makes possible investigating different QD geometrical arrangements or even compositions. It creates the opportunity to explore 2D or 3D QD arrays, or QD arrays with a missing QD. In addition, one can explore quantum wires (QWR), QDs placed in a precise arrangement in an optical cavity, or a new generation of an ?electrical circuit? composed of QDs connected by QWRs. The opportunity for innovative material structures with novel properties is enormous.This proposal will also give graduate and undergraduate students the opportunity to lead the design and fabrication of an exiting instrument as well as the growth and characterization of unique nanostructures. These students will explore a new path to achieve a more homogeneous array of organized nanostructures and recognize their impact with specific applications.