TECHNOLOGY/BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

A new process for forming and placing metallic nanospheres in insulating nanowires

 

Opportunity: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), operated by the Lawrence Livermore National Security (LLNS), LLC under contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is offering the opportunity to collaborate in the development of nanowire technology and license it for commercialization.

Background:

LLNL has patented a process for synthesizing insulating nanowires with regularly-spaced metallic nanospheres, starting from a nanostructured substrate.   This technology presents an opportunity for making advanced information storage or processing devices, and for making powerful molecular sensing substrates. 

Presently digital data storage is performed with magnetically- or optically-active microstructures or electronically in, for example, a flash memory (e.g., floating gate transistors).  A limitation in all these technologies is the planar density with which data elements can be fabricated.  LLNL's new technology may allow a very high density of electrically independent nodes to be formed without lithography, thereby increasing the effective data storage density.   LLNL's process for synthesizing the nanowires may allow precise placement of the charge-storing structures to facilitate formation of an addressable matrix for both data storage and information processing.

Surface-enhanced Raman effects have been shown to be a powerful tool for selectively enhancing optical signals from target molecules.  Micro- and nanostructured substrates have are effective at producing conditions under which enhanced Raman signals can be observed, but these are often defined with expensive lithographic techniques.  Because of the high density of metallic nanospheres in the insulating nanowires formed by LLNL's process, these structures may be very useful as Raman-enhancing substrates.  A significant advantage of the structures is that they can be created by self-assembly in air with very little processing (and no lithography) required.

Description: 

The nanosphere synthesis process works when a nanostructured substrate is heated above a critical temperature in the presence of a small amount of metal on the nanostructured surface.  The metal acts as a particular type of catalyst for nanowire formation.  It is periodically segregated within the nanowire in a thermodynamically well-defined process as nanowires grow.  The result is periodically-spaced metal nanoparticles within an insulating nanowire.  Dense arrays of nanowires can be formed in this way without lithography of any kind.

Advantages: 

This technology could be used in information storage, data processing or molecular sensing applications.  Microelectronics and biotechnology industries can benefit from the advantages presented by LLNL's patented synthesis process.

Potential Applications: 

Feature	Benefit
Density of nanowires on a nanostructured substrate	Improved data storage density; enhanced optical signals for molecular sensing with surface enhanced Raman methods
Ease of fabrication (no lithography required)	Reduced fabrication costs for data storage or information processing devices or for molecular sensing substrates
Particle-particle proximity within nanowires	Enhanced optical signals for molecular sensing with surface enhanced Raman techniques

Development Status:

This technology is at a very early stage of development.  An analytical model has been developed to explain the synthesis process, but few experiments have been performed to demonstrate its potential.   The synthesis process has been experimentally demonstrated and patented.

LLNL is seeking industry partners with a demonstrated ability to bring such inventions to the market. Moving critical technology beyond the Laboratory to the commercial world helps our licensees gain a competitive edge in the marketplace. All licensing activities are conducted under policies relating to the strict nondisclosure of company proprietary information. 

Please visit the IPO website at http://ipo.llnl.gov/workwithus/partneringprocess.php

for more information on working with LLNL and the industrial partnering and technology transfer process.

Note:  THIS IS NOT A PROCUREMENT.  Companies interested in commercializing LLNL's nanowire technology should provide a written statement of interest, which includes the following:

1.   Company Name and address.

2.   The name, address, and telephone number of a point of contact.

•3.      A description of corporate expertise and facilities relevant to commercializing this technology.

Written responses should be directed to:

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Industrial Partnerships Office

P.O. Box 808, L-795

Livermore, CA  94551-0808

Attention:  FBO 237-11

Please provide your written statement within thirty (30) days from the date this announcement is published to ensure consideration of your interest in LLNL's nanowire technology.