A Universal Approach to Electrically Connecting Nanowire Arrays Using Nanoparticles Application to a Novel Gas Sensor Architecture

Published

August 14, 2006

Author(s)

Prahalad M. Parthangal, Richard E. Cavicchi, Michael R. Zachariah

Abstract

We report on a novel, in-situ approach toward connecting and electrically contacting vertically aligned nanowire arrays using conductive nanoparticles. The utility of the approach is demonstrated by development of a gas-sensing device employing this nano-architecture. Well-aligned, single-crystalline zinc oxide nanowires were grown through a direct thermal evaporation process at 550 C on gold catalyst layers. Electrical contact to the top of the nanowire array was established by creating a contiguous nanoparticle film through electrostatic attachment of conductive gold nanoparticles exclusively onto the tips of nanowires. A gas-sensing device was constructed using such an arrangement and the nanowire assembly was found to be sensitive to both reducing (methanol) and oxidizing (nitrous oxides) gases. This assembly approach is amenable to any nanowire array for which a top contact electrode is needed.

Citation

Nanotechnology

Volume

17

Issue

15

Pub Type

Journals

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.1088/0957-4484/17/15/029

Keywords

assembly, contacts, nanoparticles, nanowire, ZnO

Citation

Parthangal, P. , Cavicchi, R. and Zachariah, M. (2006), A Universal Approach to Electrically Connecting Nanowire Arrays Using Nanoparticles Application to a Novel Gas Sensor Architecture, Nanotechnology, [online], https://doi.org/10.1088/0957-4484/17/15/029 (Accessed December 14, 2024)