Capillarity-Driven Welding of Semiconductor Nanowires for Crystalline and Electrically Ohmic Junctions

Abstract

Semiconductor nanowires (NWs) have been demonstrated as a potential platform for a wide-range of technologies, yet a method to interconnect functionally encoded NWs has remained a challenge. Here, we report a simple capillarity-driven and self-limited welding process that forms mechanically robust and Ohmic inter-NW connections. The process occurs at the point-of-contact between two NWs at temperatures 400-600 °C below the bulk melting point of the semiconductor. It can be explained by capillarity-driven surface diffusion, inducing a localized geometrical rearrangement that reduces spatial curvature. The resulting weld comprises two fused NWs separated by a single, Ohmic grain boundary. We expect the welding mechanism to be generic for all types of NWs and to enable the development of complex interconnected networks for neuromorphic computation, battery and solar cell electrodes, and bioelectronic scaffolds.

Plasmonic-enhanced targeted nanohealing of metallic nanostructures

“…In artificial fields, healing materials after damage or fracture for prolonging their life-span and reducing their costs has a dramatic impact on micro/nano-scopic fields, including biomedicine, [1][2][3][4][5][6] mechanics, [7][8][9][10][11][12] photonics, [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23] and electronics. [24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31] Healing of microdefects (such as microcracks [32][33][34][35] and microscratches 15,[36][37][38] ) plays an important role in manufacture and maintenance of mechanic, electronic, and photonic micro-devices. Currently, most microhealing (induced by heat, 38,39 moisture, 32,33,[40][41][42] and light 15,…”

Heterogeneous Interface Design for Enhanced Sodium Storage: Sb Quantum Dots Confined by Functional Carbon

“…The in situ reduction and heterogeneous nucleation happened simultaneously in the annealing period. Notably, the capillarity effect of liquid carbonaceous dispersant added on antimonate nanoparticles drives an intimate interpenetration between these two phases and enhances the surface diffusion, [ 23 ] during which the disordered heterogeneous phase interface was created. Further, the capillarity‐driven local interphase rearrangement could also take place by forming quasispherical shape and aggregating to larger particles.…”

Radio Frequency Induction Welding of Silver Nanowire Networks for Transparent Heat Films

“…To improve the electrical and mechanical characteristics of the transparent electrode using Ag NWs, the welding process is necessary to enhance their performance. Ag NW welding using various methods has been investigated, such as heating, plasmonic effect, capillary force, chemical treatment, laser irradiation, and radiofrequency [ 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 ]. The welding treatment can significantly reduce the contact resistance of the Ag NWs.…”