Alternative nanostructured sensors: nanowires, nanobelts, and novel nanostructures
© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2009. Publisher's version of record: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-77753-5_4
Abstract
State-of-the-art microfabrication techniques have led to smaller and faster computers and electronic devices. The emergence of nanoscale science and engineering (NSE or the so-called nanotechnology) has led toward the fabrication of much smaller and faster devices based on nanostructured materials. One-dimensional (1-D) nanostructures such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8] and boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) [9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14,] have attracted tremendous research interest in the past decade. While the growth of these nanotubes with desired electronic properties is still challenging, scientists and engineers have extended their interest into alternative nanostructures such as nanowires that may offer better chances to achieve controllable electronic properties. These alternative nanostructures did not have the unique closed-shell structures like CNTs and BNNTs. Instead, they are often based on the known semiconductors such as Si, InP, GaP, ZnO, and GaN. These nanostructures usually maintain the crystal structures of their bulk precursors and thus have well-established physical and chemical properties that can be employed for applications such as biological and chemical sensors.