In Situ Growth and Placement of Nanostructures by Solution-Based Processing

纳米结构的特点是它们的微小尺寸-它们以纳米为单位测量，纳米是一毫米的百万分之一。这些微小的尺寸赋予它们增强的性能，这些性能在许多技术中有应用，从计算机到手机到太阳能电池。纳米技术发展的最大挑战之一是将纳米结构低成本地集成到商业设备中。 Amy步行者博士（德克萨斯大学达拉斯分校）通过开发新方法来解决这个问题，以“就地”（原位）生长由过渡金属硫属化物、含硫或硒的金属化合物制成的纳米线、纳米孔、纳米环、纳米片和纳米通道。这些材料非常有希望用于更快的电子产品，更高效的太阳能电池，新型传感器和改进的燃料电池。她的团队专门研究基于溶液的方法，这种方法比传统技术更便宜，更环保。步行者博士使用各种实验工具来研究纳米结构的生长和特性，特别是成像质谱。这项研究对许多层次的学生都有吸引力。研究生和本科生在她的实验室获得宝贵的专业知识，在半导体，化学和高科技制造业的职业生涯。 步行者博士涉及电化学，设备设计，纳米科学，表面和材料表征，光谱和质谱研究的学生。在这项工作中，艾米步行者博士（德克萨斯大学达拉斯分校）由大分子，超分子和纳米化学（MSN）计划资助，以开发用于合成金属硫属化物纳米结构的新的可扩展技术。微图案化衬底上的半导体纳米线沉积（SEND 0 M）可以产生纳米线、纳米孔、纳米通道和纳米环，这使得能够制造复杂的功能结构，诸如基于纳米线的晶体管。在SENDOM中，多功能微图案化表面用于通过化学浴沉积（CBD）引导纳米结构的生长。SENDOM是一种原位方法，不使用复杂的光刻-这些都是显着的优势，比其他方法的纳米结构的合成和放置。SENDOM依赖于控制CBD前体和添加剂与有机薄膜的相互作用。关于这些相互作用的详细机理信息也被用来开发原位基于溶液的技术，以选择性地存款并形成独立的过渡金属二硫属化物（TMD）纳米膜。该研究计划通过将纳米结构集成到实际设备中，大大推进了纳米技术的最新发展。 最后，在“高科技”工业中，本研究中使用的基于解决方案的方法正变得越来越重要，步行者博士正在开发教育模块，以培训这一领域的各级学生。

Nanostructures are characterized by their tiny size - they are measured in nanometers, which are millionths of a millimeter. These tiny dimensions give them enhanced properties, which have applications in many technologies, from computers to cell phones to solar cells. One of the biggest challenges in the development of nanotechnology is the low-cost integration of nanostructures into commercial devices. Dr. Amy Walker (University of Texas at Dallas) addresses this problem by developing new methods to grow "in place" (in situ) nanowires, nanopores, nanorings, nanosheets and nanochannels made from transition metal chalcogenides, metal compounds containing sulfur or selenium. These materials are very promising for faster electronics, more efficient solar cells, new kinds of sensors and improved fuel cells. Her group specializes in solution-based methods which are cheaper and more environmentally friendly than conventional techniques. Dr. Walker uses a variety of experimental tools to study the growth and properties of nanostructures, in particular imaging mass spectrometry. This research is attractive to students at many levels. Both graduate and undergraduate students gain valuable expertise in her lab, going on to careers in the semiconductor, chemical and high-tech manufacturing industries. Dr. Walker involves students in electrochemistry, device design, nanoscience, surface and materials characterization, spectroscopy and mass spectrometry studies. In this work, Dr. Amy Walker (University of Texas at Dallas) is funded by the Macromolecular, Supermolecular and Nanochemistry (MSN) Program to develop new and scalable techniques used to synthesize metal chalcogenide nanostructures. Semiconductor nanowire deposition on micropatterned substrates (SENDOM) can create nanowires, nanopores, nanochannels and nanorings, which enables the fabrication of complex functional structures such as nanowire-based transistors. In SENDOM, a multifunctional micropatterned surface is used to direct the growth of nanostructures by chemical bath deposition (CBD). SENDOM is an in situ method that does not use complex lithography - these are significant advantages over other methods for nanostructures synthesis and placement. SENDOM relies on control of the interaction of CBD precursors and additives with organic thin films. Detailed mechanistic information about these interactions is also being leveraged to develop in situ solution-based techniques to selectively deposit and form free-standing transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) nanofilms. This research program substantially advances the state-of-the-art in nanotechnology by enabling the integration of nanostructures in practical devices. Finally, solution-based methods such as those used in this work are becoming increasingly important in "high-tech" industries, and Dr. Walker is developing educational modules to train students at all levels in this area.