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Ryan's Project Page - RISE summer 2004 |
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Intern: Ryan Birringer,
University of Wisconsin - Madison
Mentor: Andrei Kolmakov
Faculty Supervisor: Martin Moskovits
Department: Chemistry
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REACTOR CELL FOR IN SITU SPECTROSCOPY OF METAL OXIDE FET CONFIGURED NANOSTRUCTURES
Metal oxide nanowires configured as field effect transistors can be used as
gas sensors to detect changes in the surrounding environment. These transistors
can also be used to catalyze certain gas phase reactions. FET nanostructures are
good candidates for gas sensors because their high surface area to volume ratio
means that the bulk electrical properties are very dependent on reactions
occurring at the surface. For instance, oxygen atoms attach to the surface of
the nanowire when it is contained in an oxidizing environment. This binding of
oxygen atoms to the surface creates a depleted zone. This depleted zone is on
the same order of magnitude as the size of the wire itself, resulting in a
large increase in wire’s electrical resistance. The goal of this project is to
create a small reaction cell that will allow for in situ conductance and
spectroscopic measurements of these metal oxide FET nanostructures in variable
gaseous environments. Through in situ conductance and Raman Spectroscopy
measurements, the author hopes to formulate a better understanding of how
different surface reactions affect the electrical properties of these FET
nanostructures.
Return to the RISE 2004 project list
