Superconducting "nanobelts"

Discussion in 'Nanotechnology' started by Porfiry, Mar 9, 2001.

  1. Porfiry Nomad Registered Senior Member

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    4,127
    Researchers have created a new class of nanometer-scale structure that could be the basis for inexpensive ultra-small sensors, flat-panel display components and other electronic nanodevices.

    Made of semiconducting metal oxides, these extremely thin and flat structures -- dubbed "nanobelts" -- offer significant advantages over the nanowires and carbon nanotubes that have been extensively studied. The ribbon-like nanobelts are chemically pure, structurally uniform and largely defect-free, with clean surfaces not requiring protection against oxidation. Each is made up of a single crystal with specific surface planes and shape.

    Described for the first time in the March 9 issue of the journal Science, nanobelts could provide the kind of uniform structure needed to make practical the mass-production of nanoscale electronic and optoelectronic devices.

    "Current research in one-dimensional systems has largely been dominated by carbon nanotubes," said Zhong Lin Wang, professor of Materials Science and Engineering and director of the Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology at the Georgia Institute of Technology. "It is now time to explore other one-dimensional systems that may have important applications for nanoscale functional and smart materials. These nanobelts are the next step in developing structures that may be useful in wider applications."

    Wang and his group members Zhengwei Pan and Zurong Dai have produced nanobelts from oxides of zinc, tin, indium, cadmium and gallium. This family of materials was chosen because they are transparent semiconductive oxides, which are the basis for many functional and smart devices being developed today. But Wang believes other semiconducting oxides may also be used to make the unique structures.

    "The crystallographic structure varies a great deal from one oxide to another, but they all have a common characteristic as part of a family of materials that have ribbon-like structures with a narrow rectangular cross-section" Wang explained. "In comparison to the cylindrical symmetric nanowires and nanotubes reported in the literature, these are really a distinctive group of materials."

    Nanobelts may not have the high structural strength of cylindrical carbon nanotubes, but make up for that with a uniformity that could make them useful in electronic and optoelectronic applications. Processes for producing carbon nanotubes still cannot be controlled well enough to provide large volumes of high purity, defect-free structures with uniform properties. However, the nanobelts can be well controlled, allowing production of large quantities of pure structures that are mostly defect-free.

    "Defects in any nanostructures strongly affect their electronic and mechanical properties and possibly cause heating when electrical current passes through them. This creates problems if you want to integrate them into smaller and smaller devices at a high density," Wang noted. "More importantly, defects can destroy quantum mechanical transport properties in nanowire-like structures, resulting in the failure of quantum devices fabricated using them."

    Nanowires made of silicon and other materials have also generated interest, but these structures oxidize and require complex cleaning steps and handling in controlled environments. As oxides, nanobelts do not have to be cleaned or handled in special environments and their surfaces are atomically sharp and clean.

    Based on known properties of the oxide nanobelts, Wang points to at least three significant applications.

    Zinc oxide and tin oxide nanobelts could be the basis for ultra-small sensors because the conductivity of these materials changes dramatically when gas or liquid molecules attach to their surfaces. Tin-doped indium oxide nanobelts provide high electrical conductivity and are optically transparent, making them candidates for use in flat-panel displays. And because of their response to infrared emissions, nanobelts of fluoride-doped tin oxide could find application in "smart" windows able to adjust their transmission of light as well as conduction of heat.

    "This is a vitally important area of nanotechnology," Wang said. "If we are successful at these applications, it may lead to major technological advances in nano-size sensors and functional devices with low power consumption and high sensitivity."

    Wang says production of the nanobelts is simple and should scale up easily for high-volume production.

    Researchers begin by placing commercially available metal oxide powders in the center of an alumina tube. As argon or nitrogen gas is flowed through it, the tube is heated in a furnace to temperatures just below the melting point of the powders, approximately 1,100 - 1,400 degrees Celsius, depending on the material. The powders evaporate, then form the crystalline nanobelts as they return to solid phase on an alumina plate in a cooler part of the furnace.

    Though the temperature, pressure and processing times must be kept within bounds, Wang says the growth of the nanobelts does not appear sensitive to temperature fluctuations or variations in the processing time.

    Finished nanobelts appear as clumps that resemble a wad of cotton. Under microscopic study, they appear like "shredded paper," Wang said. Despite their origin in normally brittle oxide compounds, the nanobelts are flexible and can be bent 180 degrees without breaking.

    Typical width of the nanobelts is from 30 to 300 nanometers, with a thickness of 10-15 nanometers. Some have been produced in lengths of up to a few millimeters, though most are tens to hundreds of micrometers long.

    Georgia Tech researchers have done preliminary studies of nanobelt properties, though they would still like to learn more about the optical, electrical and surface characteristics.

    Wang expects the Science paper on nanobelts will spawn a new area of nanoscience research.

    "I believe this area will expand very rapidly. Just like carbon nanotubes, these nanobelts provide a new nanomaterials system that allows people to study nano-scale physics and device fabrication using smart and function oxide materials," he said. "Anybody can make these. There is certainly enough to be discovered to occupy researchers for several years."
     
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  3. Nano-?

    I don't have much to in the way of information to contribute but questions...
    I read a book (Excavation) about a group of archaeology students went to an ancient excavated temple of some long since gone South American tribe. Well, one thing led to another as is the nature of novels and they found themselves trapped inside with only one way to go. It turns out that the temple was an entrance to a miraculously well preserved tribe. They worshipped this gold stuff that reacted to your psychic energy outbursts (concentrate on it and what you want it to be and it will mold itself to your preference right before your eyes). As it goes, the "gold" was really a highly advanced nanotechnology from outterspace (yes, sent by hostile aliens) that was a superconductor capable of sensitivity to psychic energy. There were million upon millions of microbots in the shape of hexagons with an arm and hook at each corner. They responded to outside stimulation when in small isolated clusters (a lump of it) but there was a much larger group of them with a preprogrammed intent: seek out human fetuses(?) and manipulate them genetically until the desired form of the alien species was achieved. And they were nasty hairless things with horribly intelligent eyes and expressions. The plot was much deeper than that, but I don't want to reproduce the thing here. Anyway, the questions:
    a) Is such a thing possible?
    b) Will such a thing be possible any time soon?
    c) Wasn't the whole concept boss?
    d)Would the fact that the microbots were extremely sensitive to energy (since psychic energy seems so intangible) make them impractical in reality?
     
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  5. willakitty Registered Senior Member

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    AAHHHH!

    WHY AM I CONSTANTLY HAVING TO RELOGON?!? Anyway, to go on...
    An alien species in far galaxy supposedly sent the things to procreate on other worlds without having to survive the distance. Like spores...There, I'm done...
     
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  7. Time/02112 Senior Member Registered Senior Member

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    298
    Smart Dust

    In relation to the infamous "Chemtrail" mystery that has an uncanny appearence of some sorrid hint of mind control, and genetic testing upon it's citizens, courtesy of the US GVT, and it's allies, hidding behind a veil of just cause to "Protect" it's citizens from the emense solar flare activity that creates much weather disruption, and radiation in our skise, the truth remains disguised in a mask of the unknown authors of it's true intentions, and "Smart Dust" is just one of many other complex nanotechnologies that is hypotheticly being added to this complex soup of chemiclals rumoured to being sprayed on us from above.

    Smart Dust, what is it? I only can surmise what it is without the evidence to prove, however from what I understand from what others are conjecting here, is that it involves some sort of nanotech, microbrial probes that can transmit data about anything it comes in contact with via a series of global sattelights, and other various high tech communication equipment, and this is merley scratching the surface of much more complex series of events involving the chemtrail, and "HAARP" programs.

    Ever heard of "Operation Garden Plot" ???
    if not, I suggest you read the pertaining GVT documents, and how this parlays into these issues.
    you can find it at "The Black Vault"
    http://blackvault.com
     
  8. On Radioactive Waves lost in the continuum Registered Senior Member

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    985
    dude i coulnt find anything about your "garden plot"
     
  9. ChildOfTheMind So dark the con of man Registered Senior Member

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    337
    Porify, why cannot I start my own thread in Nanotechnology
     
  10. Fafnir665 You just got served. Registered Senior Member

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    1,979
    thats because they're archives, you can't start anything new in archives, post them in general science
     

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