Large-area nanoenabled macroelectronic substrates and uses therefor

Abstract

A method and apparatus for an electronic substrate having a plurality of semiconductor devices is described. A thin film of nanowires is formed on a substrate. The thin film of nanowires is formed to have a sufficient density of nanowires to achieve an operational current level. A plurality of semiconductor regions are defined in the thin film of nanowires. Contacts are formed at the semiconductor device regions to thereby provide electrical connectivity to the plurality of semiconductor devices. Furthermore, various materials for fabricating nanowires, thin films including p-doped nanowires and n-doped nanowires, nanowire heterostructures, light emitting nanowire heterostructures, flow masks for positioning nanowires on substrates, nanowire spraying techniques for depositing nanowires, techniques for reducing or eliminating phonon scattering of electrons in nanowires, and techniques for reducing surface states in nanowires are described.

1 - 172 . (canceled)  
     
     
         173 . An electronic device, comprising: 
 a flexible substrate;    a film of nanostructures supported by the flexible substrate;    a first conducting element in contact with the film of nanostructures; and    a second conducting element in contact with the film of nanostructures.    
     
     
         174 . The device of  claim 173 , further comprising a gate electrode in proximity to the film of nanostructures and not in electrical contact with the film of nanostructures.  
     
     
         175 . The device of  claim 174 , wherein the electronic device is selected from the group consisting of transistors, sensors, diodes, logic elements, circuits, and light-emitting diodes.  
     
     
         176 . The device of  claim 173 , wherein the flexible substrate is a polymer.  
     
     
         177 . The device of  claim 173 , wherein the flexible substrate is transparent to electromagnetic radiation in at least one range of wavelengths.  
     
     
         178 . The device of  claim 173 , wherein the film of nanostructures comprises at least one nanostructure selected from the group consisting of nanotubes and nanowires.  
     
     
         179 . The device of  claim 173 , wherein the film of nanostructures is uniform.  
     
     
         180 . The device of  claim 173 , wherein the film of nanostructures comprises an essentially two-dimensional, monolayer network of nanotubes.  
     
     
         181 . The device of  claim 173 , wherein the film of nanostructures comprises a three-dimensional, multiple-layer mat of nanostructures.  
     
     
         182 . The device of  claim 173 , further comprising only a single conducting path through the film of nanostructures between the first conducting element and the second conducting element.  
     
     
         183 . The device of  claim 173 , wherein the film of nanostructures has essentially metallic conduction properties.  
     
     
         184 . The device of  claim 173 , wherein the film of nanostructures has essentially semiconducting conduction properties.  
     
     
         185 . The device of  claim 173 , wherein the film of nanostructures is on a surface of the substrate.  
     
     
         186 . The device of  claim 173 , wherein the first conducting element and the second conducting element are metal electrodes.  
     
     
         187 . The device of  claim 186 , wherein the metal electrodes comprise at least one metal selected from the group consisting of transition metals and aluminum.  
     
     
         188 . The device of  claim 173 , wherein the flexible substrate comprises an organic substrate.  
     
     
         189 . The device of  claim 173 , wherein the flexible substrate comprises a polymer substrate and the film of nanostructures comprises a film of carbon nanotubes.  
     
     
         190 . A method of forming an electronic device, comprising: 
 forming a nanostructure film on a first substrate;    transferring the nanostructure film to a second substrate; and    making electrical contact to the nanostructure film with at least two conducting elements;    wherein the second substrate is flexible.    
     
     
         191 . The method of  claim 190 , further comprising forming a gate electrode in proximity to the nanostructure film on the second substrate and not in electrical contact with the nanostructure film.  
     
     
         192 . The method of  claim 190 , wherein forming the nanostructure film comprises: 
 forming a plurality of growth promoter particles on a rigid substrate; and    exposing the growth promoter particles on the rigid substrate to a chemical vapor deposition process that forms nanostructures.    
     
     
         193 . The method of  claim 192 , further comprising continuing the exposing step until a predetermined density of nanostructures is formed on the rigid substrate.  
     
     
         194 . The method of  claim 193 , wherein the exposing step is continued until the predetermined density of nanostructures is approximately at a percolation threshold.  
     
     
         195 . The method of  claim 190 , wherein forming the nanostructure film comprises: 
 adding a plurality of nanostructures to a first fluid to form a dilute suspension of nanostructures;    depositing the dilute suspension of nanostructures onto a first side of a porous membrane, thus forming a raft of nanostructures on the first side of the porous membrane; and    over-filling a volume on a second side of the porous membrane with a second fluid, thus floating the raft of nanostructures above the porous membrane.