[ExI] Another step towards "real" nanotech

[Jeff Davis]

Free full text available online at:
http://iopscience.iop.org/0957-4484/23/6/065304/article.

Title: Automated nanomanipulation for nanodevice construction

Note the summarizing sentence3 at the end of the abstract:

"This technology represents a seamless integration of wafer-scale
microfabrication and automated nanorobotic manipulation for producing
nano-FET sensors with consistent response across devices."

Best, Jeff Davis

                 "Everything's hard till you know how to do it."
                                              Ray Charles





Abstract

Nanowire field-effect transistors (nano-FETs) are nanodevices capable
of highly sensitive, label-free sensing of molecules. However,
significant variations in sensitivity across devices can result from
poor control over device parameters, such as nanowire diameter and the
number of electrode-bridging nanowires. This paper presents a
fabrication approach that uses wafer-scale nanowire contact printing
for throughput and uses automated nanomanipulation for precision
control of nanowire number and diameter. The process requires only one
photolithography mask. Using nanowire contact printing and
post-processing (i.e. nanomanipulation inside a scanning electron
microscope), we are able to produce devices all with a single-nanowire
and similar diameters at a speed of ~1 min/device with a success rate
of 95% (n = 500). This technology represents a seamless integration of
wafer-scale microfabrication and automated nanorobotic manipulation
for producing nano-FET sensors with consistent response across
devices.