Methods for fabricating and using nanowires

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, systems, and devices relating to fabricating one or more nanowires are disclosed. One method for fabricating a nanowire includes: selecting a particular wavelength of electromagnetic radiation for absorption for a nanowire; determining a diameter corresponding to the particular wavelength; and fabricating a nanowire having the determined diameter. According to another embodiment, one or more nanowires may be fabricated in an array, each having the same or different determined diameters. An image sensor and method of imaging using such an array are also disclosed.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A nanowire on a substrate, comprising the nanowire and the substrate, wherein:
 the nanowire has a determined diameter;   wherein the determined diameter corresponds to a particular wavelength of electromagnetic radiation for absorption of the nanowire;   wherein the nanowire is essentially vertical to the substrate;.   wherein the nanowire with the determined diameter has an absorption peak of electromagnetic radiation at the particular wavelength.   
     
     
         2 . The nanowire according to  claim 1 , wherein the diameter of the nanowire is between about 90 and 150 nm for absorbing electromagnetic radiation in the visible spectrum. 
     
     
         3 . The nanowire according to  claim 2 , wherein the length of the nanowire is between about 1 and 10 μm. 
     
     
         4 . The nanowire according to  claim 3 , wherein the bandwidth of the particular wavelength of absorption is approximately 50-100 nm. 
     
     
         5 . The nanowire according to  claim 4 , further comprising a cladding material deposited around the nanowire. 
     
     
         6 . A device comprising a plurality of pixels, each of the pixels including at least one nanowire of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         7 . The device according to  claim 6 , wherein at least one of the nanowires in the array has the same or a different determined diameter than another of the nanowires in the array. 
     
     
         8 . The device according to  claim 7 , wherein the at least one of the nanowires in the array has a different determined diameter than another of the nanowire in the array. 
     
     
         9 . The device according to  claim 8 , wherein each pixel has a plurality of nanowires, and at least one of the nanowires in the pixel has a different determined diameter than another of the nanowires in the pixel. 
     
     
         10 . The device according to  claim 9 , wherein there are three nanowires in each pixel. 
     
     
         11 . The device according to  claim 10 , wherein the three nanowires are configured to absorb red, green and blue light, respectively, in the visible spectrum. 
     
     
         12 . The device according to  claim 6 , further comprising foreoptics configured to receive the electromagnetic radiation and focus or collimate the receive radiation onto the one or more pixels. 
     
     
         13 . The device according to  claim 6 , further comprising a readout circuit configured to receive output from the one or more pixels. 
     
     
         14 . The device according to  claim 13 , further comprising a processor configured to receive an output from the readout circuit and generate an image. 
     
     
         15 . The device according to  claim 14 , further comprising a display device configured to display the image generated by the processor. 
     
     
         16 . The device according to  claim 6 , wherein the device is configured as a spectrophotometer or as a photovoltaic device. 
     
     
         17 . The device according to  claim 6 , wherein the device is configured as an image sensor. 
     
     
         18 . A method of imaging comprising receiving electromagnetic radiation; and selectively absorbing, via the device of  claim 6 , the particular wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18 , further comprising performing multispectral imaging or hyperspectral imaging. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 18 , further comprising detecting multiple wavelengths of electromagnetic energy using nanowires having different diameters.