Methods of forming microwires or nanowires

Abstract

Methods of forming microwires or nanowires, microwires or nanowires formed using the method, and electronic devices and semiconductor components including the wires. A method of forming a microwire or nanowire includes disposing a plurality of metal particles in a portion of a channel that is a nanochannel or a microchannel. The method includes etching the metal particles with an activation agent to form a flux that penetrates an additional portion of the channel. The flux includes an etching product of the activation agent and the metal particles. The method includes allowing the activation agent to at least partially evaporate to form a wire that is a microwire or a nanowire.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of forming a wire that is a microwire or nanowire, the method comprising:
 disposing a plurality of metal particles in a portion of a channel that is a nanochannel or a microchannel;   etching the metal particles with an activation agent to form a flux that penetrates an additional portion of the channel, the flux comprising an etching product of the activation agent and the metal particles; and   allowing the activation agent to at least partially evaporate to form the wire.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the metal particle comprises Field's metal, InSn alloy, eutectic InSn alloy, Galinstan, GaIn alloy, eutectic GaIn alloy, InBi alloy, eutectic InBi alloy, SnBi alloy, eutectic SnBi alloy, SnZn alloy, eutectic SnZn, Fe, Sn, Bi, In, Cu, Ag, Ge, Te, Sb, SnCu, SnAg, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the metal particles comprise liquid metal particles comprising a liquid metal or alloy. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the metal particles comprise solid metal particles comprising a solid metal or alloy. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the metal particles comprise liquid metallic core-shell particles, each liquid metallic core-shell particle comprising
 a liquid metallic core comprising a metal or alloy, and   a solid outer shell on the liquid metallic core;   wherein the wire comprises a concentration and/or compositional gradient along a longitudinal direction along the wire.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the liquid metallic core-shell particle is an undercooled liquid metallic core-shell particle having a temperature that is below a melting point of the liquid metallic core. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the channel is open along its length. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the channel is closed along at least part of its length. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein disposing the metal particles in the portion of the channel comprises disposing the metal particles between the portion of the channel and a substrate, wherein the substrate comprises silicon, glass, mica, graphene, graphene oxide, MoS 2 , one or more metals, a metal foil, aluminum, aluminum foil, copper, copper foil, one or more coinage metals, one or more metal oxides, one or more minerals, one or more polymers, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a mold comprises the channel, wherein the mold comprises an elastomer, a thermoset polymer, a thermoplastic polymer, an inorganic material, a coinage metal, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method comprises forming the wire in a plurality of the channels to form a plurality of the wires. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the portion of the channel wherein the metal particles are deposited is an entrance to the channel. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the activation agent comprises a solvent and an acid, wherein the acid comprises a carboxylic acid, acetic acid, stearic acid, benzoic acid, butyric acid, butanoic acid, adipic acid, malonic acid, muconic acid, an amino acid, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising calcining the wire to form a calcined wire, wherein the calcining comprises heating the wire to a temperature of 300° C. to 2000° C. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising pyrolyzing the wire to form a coating on the wire comprising graphene, graphene oxide, and/or graphite. 
     
     
         16 . A method of forming a wire that is a microwire or nanowire, the method comprising:
 disposing a plurality of liquid metallic core-shell particles in a portion of a channel that is a nanochannel or a microchannel, each liquid metallic core-shell particle comprising
 a liquid metallic core comprising a metal or alloy, and 
 a solid outer shell on the liquid metallic core; 
   etching the liquid metallic core-shell particles with an activation agent to form a flux that penetrates an additional portion of the channel, the flux comprising an etching product of the activation agent and the liquid metallic core-shell particles; and   allowing the activation agent to at least partially evaporate to form the wire.   
     
     
         17 . A wire formed by the method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         18 . The wire of  claim 17 , wherein the wire comprises a concentration and/or compositional gradient along a longitudinal direction along the wire. 
     
     
         19 . An article or device comprising a wire formed by the method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         20 . The article or device of  claim 19 , wherein the article or device comprises a semiconductor device, an optical article, a plasmonic component, an opto-electronic component, a resonant sensor, a radiofrequency sensor, a diode, a transistor, a rectifier, a computation device, or a combination thereof.