Ut-battelle, Inc.

University of Tennessee Research Foundation

Ida Lee

Elias Stanley Greenbaum

James Weifu Lee

Barbara R Evans

Douglas H Lowndes

Vladimir I Merkulov

Gyula Eres

Yayi Wei

A method for functionalizing cantilevers is provided that includes providing a holder having a plurality of channels each having a width for accepting a cantilever probe and a plurality of probes. A plurality of cantilever probes are fastened to the plurality of channels of the holder by the spring clips. The wells of a well plate are filled with a functionalization solution, wherein adjacent wells in the well plate are separated by a dimension that is substantially equal to a dimension separating adjacent channels of the plurality of channels. Each cantilever probe that is fastened within the plurality of channels of the holder is applied to the functionalization solution that is contained in the wells of the well plate.

High throughout reproducible cantilever functionalization

High throughput reproducible cantilever functionalization

A method is described for catalyst-induced growth of carbon nanotubes, nanofibers, and other nanostructures on the tips of nanowires, cantilevers, conductive micro/nanometer structures, wafers and the like. The method can be used for production of carbon nanotube-anchored cantilevers that can significantly improve the performance of scaning probe microscopy (AFM, EFM etc). The invention can also be used in many other processes of micro and/or nanofabrication with carbon nanotubes/fibers. Key elements of this invention include: (1) Proper selection of a metal catalyst and programmable pulsed electrolytic deposition of the desired specific catalyst precisely at the tip of a substrate, (2) Catalyst-induced growth of carbon nanotubes/fibers at the catalyst-deposited tips, (3) Control of carbon nanotube/fiber growth pattern by manipulation of tip shape and growth conditions, and (4) Automation for mass production.

Catalyst-induced growth of carbon nanotubes on tips of cantilevers and nanowires

Molecular devices using functional Photosystem I reaction centers are prepared on flat derivatized substrate surfaces. The nature and extent of orientation are controlled by chemical modification of the surface derivative. The surface of the substrate is chemically modified such that the Photosystem I reaction centers may be immobilized in a desired orientation. Preferably, a sulfur-organic compound is used to chemically modify the surface of the substrate. Depending on the type of chemical modification, the orientation of the reaction centers may be parallel to the surface, perpendicular to the surface in the &ldquo;up&rdquo; position, or perpendicular to the surface in the &ldquo;down&rdquo; position. The different orientations provide different electrical characteristics to the device.

Method of orienting molecular electronic components

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Oak Ridge, TN, United States of America

Ida Lee