Next generation electronics harnesses the enhanced electrical and mechanical properties of nanomaterials such as nanowires, carbon nanotubes (CNT) and graphene to achieve increased performance, integration and miniaturization for logic devices, sensors and actuators. However, many of the properties of these new nanomaterials and devices are still poorly understood. Specifically the structure-property-processing-performance relationships, key to developing truly marketable technologies, have to be further investigated.
Our group performs research at the interface of materials science, mechanical engineering and electronics to elucidate fundamental properties of these nanomaterials and connect them to the development of next generation electronic devices.
Carbon-nanotube-based logic devices are studied, both experimentally and computationally, exploring the design space to understand their mechanical capabilities, failure modes, and ways of making them more robust and dependable. Our efforts revolve around making reliable arrays of CNT-based bistable-switches to demonstrate the feasibility of chip-scale manufacturing of these new devices.
The electromechanical properties of semiconducting nanowires are also a core area of research; in-situ experimental studies as well as atomistic modeling are used to understand the link between mechanical deformation and generated electric fields to better assess the role nanowires will play in next-generation electronic devices for Electromechanical Properties of Nanowires, sensing and actuation.
An additional challenge, such as the precise and controlled manufacturing and/or placing of these nanomaterials to allow massively parallel fabrication, is pursued through a bottom-up approach using an AFM-based nanopatterning technique, the Nanofountain Probe (NFP). Manufactured using advanced microfabrication techniques, arrays of these microfluidic probes are capable of patterning many materials down to the nanometer scale, such as catalysts for CNT-growth.