Bottom Up Microsystem Construction Strategies Built Upon 3D Directed Self-Assembly of Metallic and Polymeric Nanostructures

Two self-assembly methods, one for growing individual metal nanoneedles at selected locations on substrates, and a second for automatically assembling arrays of polymer nanofiber two-point suspended air-bridges are reviewed. Complex integrated systems are proposed that incorporate these elements, including a rare-cell cell sorter, an electrochemical disk nanoelectrode and a rather arbitrary point-to-point 3D polymer fiber interconnection system. The last system is envisioned as composed of an array of individually actuated nanoneedles that can be electrostatically positioned to permit the selective drawing of polymer nanofibers air-bridges in 3D.