Fabrication of biological sensors from UNCD nanowires

Scientists at the Center for Nano Materials, Argonne National Laboratory, have successfully cut thin diamond nanoparticles (UNCD) into nanowires.

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The results of this study have contributed to enrich the functionality of the material and provide potential improvements to the fabrication of biological sensors.

We can change the conductivity of the " UNCD thin films " (a special kind of diamond, made at the Argonne National Laboratory), by adjusting the chemical bonds between the boundaries. seed.

"This is a very attractive (carbon-based) material for a variety of applications in communications, medicine, defense," said Anirudha Sumant, materials scientist at the National Laboratory. Argonne.

The main objective of the researchers is to understand the conductivity characteristics of UNCD nanostructures; as well as learn how these conductive properties can be modified by adjusting the chemical bonding at the grain boundaries and by taking advantage of the ratio (surface to volume), increasing the same a time.

"We have come up with a new way to make UNCD nanowires, with a width of up to 30 nanometers, at a thickness of 40 nanometers, using a top-down manufacturing method that combines photolithography by electron beam and a process by ion implantation, " Sumant said.

Among the conductive properties of the UNCD nanowires , researchers also discovered an extremely sensitive resistance to adsorption of gas molecules at the grain boundaries. This discovery opens up the possibility of making advanced nanoscale sensors for specific applications.

The main advantage of the UNCD nanowires on other materials is that it provides stable functions, which can be useful for fabricating new types of sensors.

The UNCD nanowires will be used in the manufacturing sector: biometric sensors, pressure sensors, gas sensors, and can be used by microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and in semiconductor industries.