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Nanoscale, electrified liquid jets for high resolution printing of charge.

Journal Article · · Nano Lett.
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/nl903495f· OSTI ID:972626

Nearly all research in micro- and nanofabrication focuses on the formation of solid structures of materials that perform some mechanical, electrical, optical, or related function. Fabricating patterns of charges, by contrast, is a much less well explored area that is of separate and growing interesting because the associated electric fields can be exploited to control the behavior of nanoscale electronic and mechanical devices, guide the assembly of nanomaterials, or modulate the properties of biological systems. This paper describes a versatile technique that uses fine, electrified liquid jets formed by electrohydrodynamics at micro- and nanoscale nozzles to print complex patterns of both positive and negative charges, with resolution that can extend into the submicrometer and nanometer regime. The reported results establish the basic aspects of this process and demonstrate the capabilities through printed patterns with diverse geometries and charge configurations in a variety of liquid inks, including suspensions of nanoparticles and nanowires. The use of printed charge to control the properties of silicon nanomembrane transistors provides an application example.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)
Sponsoring Organization:
SC; NSF; National Research Foundation of Korea; Korean Ministry of Education, Science and Technology
DOE Contract Number:
AC02-06CH11357
OSTI ID:
972626
Report Number(s):
ANL/CNM/JA-65631
Journal Information:
Nano Lett., Journal Name: Nano Lett. Journal Issue: 2 ; Feb. 2010 Vol. 10
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
ENGLISH