title: Bottom-up nanoconstruction by the welding of individual metallic nanoobjects using nanoscale solder.
abstract: We report that individual metallic nanowires and nanoobjects can be assembled and welded together into complex nanostructures and conductive circuits by a new nanoscale electrical welding technique using nanovolumes of metal solder. At the weld sites, nanoscale volumes of a chosen metal are deposited using a sacrificial nanowire, which ensures that the nanoobjects to be bonded retain their structural integrity. We demonstrate by welding both similar and dissimilar materials that the use of nanoscale solder is clean, controllable, and reliable and ensures both mechanically strong and electrically conductive contacts. Nanoscale weld resistances of just 20Omega are achieved by using Sn solder. Precise engineering of nanowelds by this technique, including the chemical flexibility of the nanowire solder, and high spatial resolution of the nanowelding method, should result in research applications including fabrication of nanosensors and nanoelectronics constructed from a small number of nanoobjects, and repair of interconnects and failed nanoscale electronics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering Materials, Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Sheffield University, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cullis
authors.forename: Beverley
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Inkson
mesh_terms: D003460:Crystallization / Q000379:methods*; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000737:chemistry; D008422:Materials Testing; D008839:Microelectrodes; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D010316:Particle Size; D013499:Surface Properties; D014896:Welding / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D006046:Gold