Fabricating semiconductor nano/microwires and transfer printing ordered arrays of them onto plastic substrates

Ordered arrays of single-crystalline nano- and microwires of GaAs and InP with well-controlled lengths, widths, and cross-sectional shapes have been fabricated over large areas from high quality bulk wafers by the use of traditional photolithography and anisotropic, chemical wet etching. A printing technique using elastomeric stamps can transfer these wire arrays to plastic substrates, with excellent retention of order and crystallographic orientation of the wires. Electrical measurements on simple test structures demonstrate the high degree of mechanical flexibility of the resulting wire arrays on plastics. The combination of "top down" wire fabrication and "dry" transfer printing might represent an effective route to ultrahigh performance macroelectronic systems.