Direct synthesis of electrically integrated silicon nanowires forming 3D electrodes

Arrays composed of vertically aligned nanoscale electrodes are under discussion for various biological and analytical applications including extra-and intracellular measurements, intracellular drug delivery, and cellular interfacing. Based on their nanoscale morphology, conductive nanowires are a preferred electrode material but device fabrication remains a key challenge. In this article, we present a straightforward assembly strategy for directly connected and quasi-vertically aligned silicon nanowires (SiNWs) that could lead to well-defined electrode arrays in future. Our strategy exploits certain features of platinum-catalyzed SiNW growth and simultaneously interlinks the SiNW synthesis and the formation of the electrical contacts using a single metallization film. Our assembly strategy relies fully on conventional photolithography and can cope with various electrode designs and configurations considering single-nanowire electrode readouts. (C) 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim