We report on the fabrication and modification of a top-down nanofabrication platform for enormous parallel silicon nanowire-based devices. We explain the nanowire formation in detail, using an additive hybrid lithography step, optimising a reactive ion etching recipe for obtaining smooth and vertical nanowires under a hybrid mask, and embedding the nanowire in a dielectric membrane. The nanowires are used as a sacrificial template, removal of the nanowires forms arrays of well-defined nano-pores with a high surface density. This platform is expected to find applications in many different physical domains, including nanofluidics, (3D) nanoelectronics, as well as nanophotonics. We demonstrate the employment of the platform as field emitter arrays, as well as a state-of-the-art electro-osmotic pump.
This paper introduces a new self-aligned procedure for wafer-scale fabrication of curved metal-insulatorsemiconductor (cMIS) tunneling junctions with nanometric lateral dimensions. The fabrication process is based on the use of an array of silicon nano-pillars embedded in a silicon nitride membrane. The junctions are formed at the apex of pyramidal pits and the tunneling window is defined using self-aligned corner lithography. The current densities of the functional cMIS-junctions with a 2.5 nm thick tunneling oxide layer are in the theoretically expected range.
Silicon dioxide pedestal nozzles are introduced, featuring a sharp concentric rim with an edge angle of approximately 5° and a sub-20 nm radius of curvature. The nozzles show an unprecedented ability to pin the contact line of de-ionized water, and apparent contact angles exceeding 210° were observed. A dynamic contact angle characterization method is introduced to determine the pinning capabilities of the nozzle. The nozzle is vibrated with a piezo actuator and brings pendant droplets close to their resonance frequency. Larger contact angles are observed for smaller droplets, because they can be driven closer to the resonance frequency before pinch-off.
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