Fabrication of silicon nanowire composites and super-hydrophobic surfaces

Details

Event 2009 Electronic Materials Conference

Authors

Wong, William S.
Tse Nga Ng
Lujan, Rene A.
Technical Publications
June 24th 2009
There are many approaches to form textured surfaces and composites for modifying the surface energy of a material and creating super-hydrophobic conditions. Groups have demonstrated processes ranging from patterning and molding of silicone materials to conventional mixing processes. We have employed a bottom-up approach to fabricating super-hydrophobic surfaces using Si nanowires (SiNWs) embedded in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). A dense network of SiNWs having ordered (vertically oriented) and disordered structures was first synthesized on Si (111) substrates by chemical-vapor deposition. The as-grown SiNW network, having a nanowire length of ~ 30 microns, was found to be hydrophilic with a water contact angle of ~ 5. A composite SiNW/PDMS layer (of ~ 20 micron thickness), with the ordered SiNWs protruding out from the surface, was created by drop-casting the PDMS onto the SiNW surface. A resulting water contact angle of 150 was measured on the composite layer surface, dramatically higher than the contact angle of ~80 on bare PDMS. Results for free-standing SiNW/PDMS composite layers and applications towards nanocomposite laminates will also be presented.

Citation

Wong, W. S.; Ng, T.; Lujan, R. Self-cleaning silicon nanowire elastomeric composites. 2009 Electronic Materials Conference; 2009 June 24-26; University Park, PA.

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