Metallic nanostructures self-assembly, and testing methods

1. A method for forming a plate-like blade nanostructure, the method comprising steps of:

selecting a room temperature liquid metal gallium droplet and droplet size suitable for forming the plate-like blade nanostructure;

selecting a microscopic tip of another material;

coating the microscopic tip with a platinum layer;

contacting the coated microscopic tip with the liquid metal droplet for a predetermined time that promotes the plate-like blade nanostructure; and

gradually moving the microscopic tip away from the liquid metal droplet over a time period determined to produce the plate-like blade nanostructure.

2. A method for forming a rectangular bar nanostructure in a predetermined location, the method comprising steps of:

forming a thin film chromium adhesion layer on a substrate;

forming a gold film on the adhesion layer;

depositing and alloying a layer of gallium on the gold film to form a rough gallium/gold alloy film with droplet structures on the film;

selecting a room temperature liquid metal gallium droplet and droplet size suitable for forming the rectangular bar desired nanostructure;

selecting a microscopic tip of another material;

coating the microscopic tip with a platinum layer;

contacting the coated microscopic tip with the gallium/gold alloy film for a predetermined time that promotes the rectangular bar nanostructure; and

gradually moving the microscopic tip away from the gold alloy film over a time period determined to produced the rectangular bar nanostructure.

3. A method for forming a metal alloy nanostructure in a predetermined location, the method comprising steps of:

selecting a desired metal alloy nanostructure shape to be formed;

selecting a room temperature liquid gallium droplet and droplet size suitable for forming the desired nanostructure;

selecting a microscopic tip of another material;

coating the microscopic tip with a film of silver that will alloy with the liquid gallium droplet;

contacting the coated microscopic tip with the liquid gallium droplet for a predetermined time that promotes the desired metal alloy nanostructure; and

gradually moving the microscopic tip away from the liquid gallium droplet over a time period determined to produce the desired metal alloy nanostructure; and

coating the metal alloy nanostructure with an electrically insulating layer.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the metal alloy nanostructure comprises a metal alloy nanoneedle, the method further comprising a step of removing electrically insulating layer from a tip of the nanoneedle by side-to-side flexing during contact mode scanning of a deep and narrow trench in an atomic force microscope (AFM).

5. A method for forming a metal alloy nanoneedle in a predetermined location, the method comprising steps of

selecting a room temperature liquid gallium droplet and droplet size suitable for forming the desired metal alloy nanoneedle;

selecting a microscopic tip of another material;

coating the microscopic tip with a film of silver that will alloy with the liquid gallium droplet;

contacting the microscopic tip with the liquid gallium droplet for a predetermined time that promotes the desired metal alloy nanoneedle;

gradually moving the microscopic tip away from the liquid gallium droplet over a time period determined to produce the desired metal alloy nanoneedle; and

coating the metal alloy nanoneedle with alternating layers of insulator and metal.

6. The method in claim 5 , further comprising a step of removing the alternating layers from the tip of the nanoneedle to form a multiconductor nanoelectrode.

7. A method for forming metal alloy nanotweezers, the method comprising steps of:

forming dual micropillars at the end of a microcantilever, with each micropillar having a separate electrical contact and each electrical contact having a separate electrical trace on the microcantilever;

selecting a room temperature liquid gallium droplet and droplet size suitable for forming the desired metal alloy nanoneedle;

selectively coating the micropillars with silver in a pattern that extends down the pillar and to the electrical contacts, wherein the silver is a metal that will alloy with the liquid gallium droplet;

contacting the micropillars with the liquid gallium droplet for a predetermined time that promotes formation of separate individual metal alloy nanoneedles along micropillar walls according to the pattern;

gradually moving the microscopic tip away from the liquid gallium droplet over a time period determined to produce the desired metal alloy nanoneedles, wherein the nanoneedles form opposing nanoneedles electrically connected to the electorodes to form electrostatically actuated nanogrippers.

8. A method for forming a plurality of nanostructures in predetermined locations, the method comprising steps of:

selecting a desired nanostructure shape to be formed;

selecting a room temperature liquid gallium droplet and droplet size suitable for forming the desired nanostructures;

delivering a plurality of the liquid metal droplets to specific locations;

selecting a plurality of the microscopic tips coated with a film of silver that will alloy with the liquid gallium droplets;

contacting the plurality of the microscopic tips to the plurality of the metal droplets for a predetermined time that promotes the desired nanostructures; and

gradually moving the plurality of microscopic tips away in a direction coincident with axes of the plurality of microscopic tips from the plurality of liquid gallium droplets over a time period determined to produce the desired plurality of nanostructures,

wherein the nanostructure comprises a plurality of nanostructures, further comprising etching away a central nanostructure, to form a hollow or porous nanoscale chamber, tube, or capillary.

9. A method of forming metal pores, the method comprising steps of:

selecting a room temperature liquid gallium droplet suitable for forming a desired metal alloy nanostructure;

selecting a microscopic tip of another material;

coating the microscopic tip with a film of silver that will alloy with the liquid gallium droplet;

contacting the microscopic tip with the liquid gallium droplet for a predetermined time that promotes the desired metal alloy nanostructure;

gradually moving the microscopic tip away from the liquid gallium droplet over a time period determined to produce the desired metal alloy nanostructure; and

selectively removing a metal to make pores in the nanostructure.