Faculty Research
Alphabetical · By research area

Nanoscience, Materials, Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis

The manipulation of matter on the nanometer scale has become a central focus from both fundamental and technological perspectives. Unique, unpredictable and highly intriguing physical, optical and electrical phenomena can result from the confinement of matter into nanoscale features. As a result, the burgeoning study and preparation of structures exhibiting such interesting and unusual phenomena has been termed nanotechnology or nanoscience, an exploding field still in its infancy. Much of the driving force for building tiny devices and features on the nanoscale is their importance for existing and emerging technologies such as microelectronics, nano-electromechanical systems (NEMS), sensors and diagnostics which communicate directly with cells, viruses and bacteria, quantum confinement effects, and a host of other applications. Miniaturization of integrated circuits (IC's) on silicon will continue, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), with feature sizes of DRAMs expected to drop to 70 nm in 2010, from just under 250 today. Nanofabrication is, however, extremely challenging since perfect control over matter at these dimensions remains difficult. Fundamentally new approaches towards nanoscale manipulation are required to fully exploit the promises and potential of these tiny devices and features.

Interfacing and Patterning Metallic Nanoparticles with Semiconductors for Electronics and Catalysis

There is a great deal of interest in nanostructured metallic architectures due to their unique electrical and optical characteristics. Because the fundamental properties of the metal nanoparticles are highly shape dependent, there has been much focused effort in devising reactions that exhibit a large degree of shape control. In order to harness the new electronic, optical and catalytic properties of these nanomaterials, they need to be interfaced to the macroworld, ideally though a semiconductor chip. In order to address both challenges simultaneously, we are investigating synthesis of nanoscale metallic materials directly on semiconductors such as silicon, germanium, indium phosphide (InP) and gallium arsenide (GaAs). An example of a silver nanostructure is shown in the figure.

Nanoscale Conducting Organic Interconnects

Over the last 8 years, work in the Buriak group has proven the viability of organometallic chemistry on silicon to produce highly stable, diverse monolayers, bound through Si-C bonds for a range of technological applications. We are now patterning this electrografting surface chemistry using conducting atomic force microscopy (C-AFM) or scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) to lead to the writing of organic monolayers on silicon and germanium surfaces. Because many of the reactions developed in our laboratories are electrochemically driven, they 'nanoscale electrochemical cell' underneath an AFM tip can be used to pattern sub 40 nm features directly onto silicon chips. We are working to develop new silicon surface chemistries in order to both probe the chemistry of these interfaces, and to develop technologically important applications such as molecular electronics and sensing.

Selected Publications

Aizawa, M.; Cooper, A.; Malac, M.; Buriak, J. M. "Silver Nano-Inukshuks on Germanium", Nano Letters, 2005 (ASAP, cover of the May 2005 issue).

Baldauff, E.; Buriak, J. M. "Optical Sensing of Amine Vapours with a Series of Tin Compounds", Chem. Commun., 2004, 2028-2029.

Porter, L. A.; Ribbe, A. E.; Buriak, J. M. "Metallic Nanostructures via Static Plowing Lithography", Nano Letters 2003, 3, 1043-1047.

Hurley, P. T.; Ribbe, A. E.; Buriak, J. M. "Nanoscale Alkyne Electrografting on Silicon", J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 11334-11339.

Buriak, J. M. "Organometallic Chemistry on Silicon and Germanium Surfaces", Chem. Rev. 2002, 102, 1271.