Nanowires are impacting the next generation of electronic devices, biosensors and solar energy technology. We profile the leading application developers.
Nanowires
A nanowire is a filament typically measuring 2 to 100 nm in diameter. Nanowires of a variety of materials (Carbon nanotubes, graphene, carbon fiber; Nanoforms of wide band gap materials such as SiC, GaN, AlN, BN, ZnO; other semiconductors such as Si, CdTe, CdS; and nanostructures and nanowires of established electron emitters such as LaB6) have gained importance in the past decade owing to their potential for reliable integration into electronic devices. These devices benefit from nanowires large surface to volume ratios, small active volumes, quantum confinement effects and integration in complex architectures on the nanoscale including sensors, optoelectronics, nanoelectronic and energy harvesting applications. Basic electronic devices like junction diodes, transistors, FETs and logic gates can be fabricated by using semiconductor and superlattice nanowires.
Nanowires applications
Nanowires with low threshold and low operating voltage have become potential candidates for field emission display (FED) application. Aligned nanowires with a high packing density can significantly enhance the field emission behaviour. Cambrios and Cima NanoTech have developed conductive coatings by suspending silver nanowires in a solution. The ability to deposit the films using low-temperature processing such as roll-to-roll coating and printing makes the technology cost-effective, as opposed to high-temperature sputtering for ITO.Nanowire-based field effect transistors (FETs) have been utilized in biosensors for DNA sequencing and detecting biomarkers associated with disease.
Sol Voltaics utilizes gallium arsenide (GaAs) nanowires for solar applications. The company has recently unveiled SolInk, a product that promises to increase the efficiency of thin film solar modules crystalline silicon or by up to 25 percent or more. GaAs nanowires constitute the active ingredient in SolInk. The company has developed Aerotaxy, a process for producing nanowires created by company founder and Lund University professor Lars Samuelson.
