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Biomedical subjects

Heiko O Jacobs

Publications and source records attributed to Heiko O Jacobs.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

Fringing field directed assembly of nanomaterials.

This letter reports on a new gas-phase printing approach to deposit nanomaterials into addressable areas on a surface with 50 nm lateral accuracy. Localized fringing fields that form around conventional resist patterns (PMMA and SiO2) with openings to a silicon substrate are used to direct the assembly of nanomaterials into the openings. Directed assembly was observed due to a naturally occurring inbuilt charge differential at the material interface that was further enhanced by corona charging to yield a field strength exceeding 1 MV/m in Kelvin probe force microscopy (KFM) measurements. The assembly process is independent of the nanomaterial source and type: an evaporative, plasma, and electrospray source have been tested to deposit silicon and metallic nanoparticles. The results suggest a potential route to form nanolenses on the basis of charged resist structures; a 3-fold size reduction has been observed between the structures and the assembled particles. Applications range from the integration of functional nanomaterial building blocks to the elimination of lift-off steps in semiconductor processing.

Journal Article↗

Charging process and Coulomb-force-directed printing of nanoparticles with sub-100-nm lateral resolution.

This article reports on a new charging process and Coulomb-force-directed assembly of nanoparticles onto charged surface areas with sub-100-nm resolution. The charging is accomplished using a flexible nanostructured thin silicon electrode. Electrical nanocontacts have been created as small as 50 nm by placing the nanostructured electrode onto an electret surface. The nanocontacts have been used to inject charge into 50 nm sized areas. Nanoparticles were assembled onto the charge patterns, and a lateral resolution of 60 nm has been observed for the first time. A comparison of the nanoparticle patterns with the surface potential distribution recorded by Kelvin probe force microscopy (KFM) revealed a mismatch in the lateral resolution. One possible explanation is that nanoparticles may visualize charge patterns at a sub-60-nm length scale that is not well resolved using KFM.

Journal Article↗

Sequential shape-and-solder-directed self-assembly of functional microsystems.

We demonstrate the fabrication of packaged microsystems that contain active semiconductor devices and passive components by using a directed self-assembly technique. The directed self-assembly is accomplished by combining geometrical shape recognition with site-specific binding involving liquid solder. Microfabricated components with matching complementary shapes, circuits, and liquid solder-coated areas were suspended in ethylene glycol and agitated by using a turbulent liquid flow to initiate the self-assembly. Microsystems were obtained by sequentially adding components of different types. Six hundred AlGaInP/GaAs light-emitting diode segments with a chip size of 200 microm were assembled onto device carriers with a yield of 100% in 2 min. Packaged light-emitting diodes formed with yields exceeding 97% as a result of two self-assembly steps in 4 min. This self-assembly procedure, based on geometrical shape recognition and subsequent binding to form mechanical and electrical connections, provides a high distinguishing power between different components and a route to nonrobotic parallel assembly of electrically functional hybrid microsystems in three dimensions.

Computers↗

Biomimetic self-assembly of a functional asymmetrical electronic device.

This paper introduces a biomimetic strategy for the fabrication of asymmetrical, three-dimensional electronic devices modeled on the folding of a chain of polypeptide structural motifs into a globular protein. Millimeter-size polyhedra-patterned with logic devices, wires, and solder dots-were connected in a linear string by using flexible wire. On self-assembly, the string folded spontaneously into two domains: one functioned as a ring oscillator, and the other one as a shift register. This example demonstrates that biomimetic principles of design and self-organization can be applied to generate multifunctional electronic systems of complex, three-dimensional architecture.

Amino Acid Motifs↗

Fabrication of a cylindrical display by patterned assembly.

We demonstrate the patterned assembly of integrated semiconductor devices onto planar, flexible, and curved substrates on the basis of capillary interactions involving liquid solder. The substrates presented patterned, solder-coated areas that acted both as receptors for the components of the device during its assembly and as electrical connections during its operation. The components were suspended in water and agitated gently. Minimization of the free energy of the solder-water interface provided the driving force for the assembly. One hundred and thirteen GaAlAs light-emitting diodes with a chip size of 280 micrometers were fabricated into a prototype cylindrical display. It was also possible to assemble 1500 silicon cubes, on an area of 5 square centimeters, in less than 3 minutes, with a defect rate of approximately 2%.

Journal Article↗