Single GaAs nanowire based photodetector fabricated by dielectrophoresis.

Mechanical manipulation of nanowires (NWs) for their integration in electronics is still problematic because of their reduced dimensions, risking to produce mechanical damage to the NW structure and electronic properties during the assembly process. In this regard, contactless NW manipulation based methods using non-uniform electric fields, like dielectrophoresis (DEP) are usually much softer than mechanical methods, offering a less destructive alternative for integrating nanostructures in electronic devices. Here, we report a feasible and reproducible dielectrophoretic method to assemble single GaAs NWs (with radius 35-50 nm, and lengths 3-5 µm) on conductive electrodes layout with assembly yields above 90% per site, and alignment yields of 95%. The electrical characteristics of the dielectrophoretic contact formed between a GaAs NW and conductive electrodes have been measured, observing Schottky barrier like contacts. Our results also show the fast fabrication of diodes with rectifying characteristics due to the formation of a low-resistance contact between the Ga catalytic droplet at the tip of the NW when using Al doped ZnO as electrode. The current-voltage characteristics of a single Ga-terminated GaAs NW measured in dark and under illumination exhibit a strong sensitivity to visible light under forward bias conditions (around two orders of magnitude), mainly produced by a change on the series resistance of the device.

High Spatial Resolution Mapping of Localized Surface Plasmon Resonances in Single Gallium Nanoparticles.

Plasmonics has emerged as an attractive field driving the development of optical systems in order to control and exploit light-matter interactions. The increasing interest around plasmonic systems is pushing the research of alternative plasmonic materials, spreading the operability range from IR to UV. Within this context, gallium appears as an ideal candidate, potentially active within a broad spectral range (UV-VIS-IR), whose optical properties are scarcely reported. Importantly, the smart design of active plasmonic materials requires their characterization at high spatial and spectral resolution to access the optical fingerprint of individual nanostructures, attainable by transmission electron microscopy techniques (i.e., by means of electron energy-loss spectroscopy, EELS). Therefore, the optical response of individual Ga nanoparticles (NPs) by means of EELS measurements is analyzed, in order to spread the understanding of the plasmonic response of Ga NPs. The results show that single Ga NPs may support several plasmon modes, whose nature is extensively discussed.

Effects of hydroxylation and silanization on the surface properties of ZnO nanowires.

Silanization is commonly used to form bonds between inorganic materials and biomolecules as a step in the surface preparation of solid-state biosensors. This work investigates the effects of silanization with amino-propyldiethoxymethylsilane on hydroxylated sidewalls of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires (NWs). The surface properties and electrical characteristics of NWs are analyzed by different techniques after their hydroxylation and later silanization. Contact angle measurements reveal a stronger hydrophobic behavior after silanization, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results show a reduction of the surface dipole induced by the replacement of the hydroxyl group with the amine terminal group. The lower work function obtained after silanization in contact potential measurements corroborates the attenuation of the surface dipole observed in XPS. Furthermore, the surface band bending of NWs is determined from surface photovoltage measurements upon irradiation with UV light, yielding a 0.5 eV energy in hydroxylated NWs, and 0.18 eV, after silanization. From those results, a reduction in the surface state density of 3.1 × 10(11) cm(-2) is estimated after silanization. The current-voltage (I-V) characteristics measured in a silanized single NW device show a reduction of the resistance, due to the enhancement of the conductive volume inside the NW, which also improves the linearity of the I-V characteristic.

Glutathione immunosensing platform based on total internal reflection ellipsometry enhanced by functionalized gold nanoparticles.

An immunosensor to detect small molecules, such as glutathione (GSH), has been developed by combination of ellipsometry and Kretschmann surface plasmon resonance (SPR). The Au thin film used for surface plasmon polariton (SPP) excitation is functionalized with anti-GSH to specifically bind GSH. At low concentrations, the small refractive index changes caused by the low molecular weight of GSH induced only negligible shifts in the plasmon resonant energy during GSH binding. To improve sensitivity, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are functionalized with glutathione acting as amplifiers of the antigen-antibody interaction. Changes induced by the AuNP adsorption are monitored using Ψ and Δ ellipsometric functions. After performing competitive assays using solutions containing different concentrations of free GSH and a constant amount of functionalized AuNPs, it was concluded that the resonant energy linearly shifts as the relative concentration of free GSH increases. A detection limit for free GSH in the nanomolar range is found, demonstrating the effectiveness of AuNPs to enhance the sensitivity to immunoreactions in total internal reflection ellipsometry.