Method for manufacturing a nano-wire array and a device that comprises a nano-wire array

Abstract

A device having a nano-wire array and a method for manufacturing an array of nano-wires. The method includes spraying on a substrate droplets of a suspension that comprises nano-wires and at least a partially volatile solvent; and evaporating the at least partially volatile solvent of the droplets to form the array of nano-wires. At least one of the spraying and the evaporating comprises executing at least one aggregation reduction measure for limiting a formation of three dimensional aggregations of nano-wires on the substrate.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method for manufacturing an array of nano-wires, the method comprises:
 spraying on a substrate droplets of a suspension that comprises nano-wires and at least a partially volatile solvent; and   evaporating the at least partially volatile solvent of the droplets to form the array of nano-wires;   wherein at least one of the spraying and the evaporating comprises executing at least one aggregation reduction measure for limiting a formation of three dimensional aggregations of nano-wires on the substrate.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the at least partially volatile solvent is a volatile solvent and wherein the evaporating comprises evaporating the volatile solvent to provide a substantially solvent free nano-wire array. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the spraying comprises reducing the formation of the three dimensional aggregations of nano-wires on the substrate. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the evaporating comprises reducing the formation of the three dimensional aggregations of nano-wires on the substrate. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein each one of the evaporating and the spraying comprises reducing the formation of the three dimensional aggregations of nano-wires on the substrate. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein each droplet comprises few nano-wires. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein each droplet comprises up to five nano-wires. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein each droplet comprises up to two nano-wires. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein each droplet comprises up to a single nano-wire. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the spraying comprises introducing pressure on the suspension by a carrier gas to form the droplets. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the spraying comprises introducing pressure on the suspension by a carrier gas to form the droplets and to induce a formation of an aligned nano-wire array. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1 , comprising spraying the suspension on an area of substrate and changing at least one parameter between a start of the spraying of the area and an end of the spraying of the area; wherein the parameter is selected out of (a) a pressure applied during a coating of the area on droplets of the suspension, (b) a temperature of the substrate, (c) an angle of spraying the suspension and (d) a distance between locations of contact between the substrate and adjacent. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , comprising changing the at least one parameter to provide a nano-wire array having a varying alignment. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , comprising coupling different portions of the nano-wire array to different pairs of electrodes so that at least one pair of electrodes is coupled to a portion of the nano-wire array that differs by alignment from at least other pair of electrodes. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 13 , comprising coupling different portions of the array to different pairs of electrodes so that at least one pair of electrodes is coupled to a portion of the nano-wire array that differs by density from at least other pair of electrodes. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 12 , comprising changing the at least one parameter to provide a nano-wire array having a varying density. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 12 , comprising adjusting the at least one parameter in response to feedback indicative of a difference between a desired value of a property of a nano-wire array formed by the spraying and an actual value of the property of the nano-wire array. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 12 , comprising spraying the suspension on the substrate while changing the pressure applied on the droplets of the suspension. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 12 , comprising spraying the suspension on the substrate while changing the temperature of the substrate. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 12 , comprising spraying the suspension on the substrate while changing the angle of spraying the suspension. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 12 , comprising spraying the suspension on the substrate while changing the distance between locations of contact between the substrate and adjacent. 
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 1 , comprising spraying the droplets on the substrate while the substrate is at a temperature that is closer to a boiling temperature of the volatile solvent than to an ambient temperature. 
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 1 , comprising spraying the droplets on the substrate while the substrate is at a temperature that differs by up to twenty degrees to a boiling temperature of the volatile solvent. 
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 1 , comprising spraying the droplets on the substrate while the substrate is at a temperature that substantially equals to a boiling temperature of the volatile solvent. 
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 1 , comprising heating the substrate to a temperature that guarantees that most droplets evaporate before nano-wires of different droplets contact each other. 
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 1 , comprising cooling the substrate to a temperature that causes droplets to freeze as a result of contacting the substrate to form a frozen formation of droplets on the substrate; and causing the frozen formation of droplets to evaporate. 
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 26 , comprising causing the frozen formation of droplets to evaporate while maintaining a location of the nano-wires substantially unchanged. 
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 1 , comprising coating at least one surface of the substrate that form a three-dimensional shape with the nano-wire array. 
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 28 , wherein the spraying comprises coating an entire substrate with the nano-wire array. 
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 28 , wherein the substrate has an edge and wherein the spraying comprise coating the edge and areas of the substrate that form the edge with a uniform array of nano-wires.