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A universal approach to electrically connecting nanowire arrays using nanoparticles—application to a novel gas sensor architecture

Prahalad M Parthangal1,2, Richard E Cavicchi2 and Michael R Zachariah1,2,3

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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.


PACS

73.40.Cg Contact resistance, contact potential

85.35.-p Nanoelectronic devices

73.63.Nm Quantum wires

73.21.Hb Quantum wires

07.07.Df Sensors (chemical, optical, electrical, movement, gas, etc.); remote sensing

Subjects

Electronics and devices

Instrumentation and measurement

Surfaces, interfaces and thin films

Nanoscale science and low-D systems

Dates

Issue 15 (14 August 2006)

Received 1 May 2006, accepted for publication 1 June 2006

Published 6 July 2006



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