Nanopillar-based closed ring resonator (CRR) MMs, utilizing displacement current in the nano gap medium between nanopillars that significantly increases energy storage in the MMs, leading to an enhanced Q-factor of at least 11000. A metallic nanopillar array is designed in the form of a closed ring (e.g., square-shape) CRR

A nano-fluidic device includes: a first substrate that has a nanoscale groove on one surface; and a second substrate that is integrally provided with the first substrate by bonding one surface of the second substrate to the one surface of the first substrate and forms a nanochannel with the groove of the first substrate, in which either the first substrate or the second substrate includes at least a thin portion in a part of a position overlapping the nanochannel in plan view, and the thin portion is deformed by pressing to open and close the nanochannel.

A system for molecular mapping includes a semiconductor substrate defining a reservoir to receive a sample of molecules and a nanofluidic channel in fluid communication with the reservoir. The system also includes a plurality of electrodes, in electrical communication with the nanofluidic channel, to electrophoretically trap the sample of molecules in the nanofluidic channel. At least one avalanche photodiode is fabricated in the semiconductor substrate and disposed within an optical near-field of the nanofluidic channel to detect fluorescence emission from at least one molecule in the sample of molecules.

Provided is a self-processing synthesis of hybrid nanostructures, novel nanostructures and uses thereof in the construction of electronic and optoelectronic devices.

3D nanochannel interleaved devices for molecular manipulation are provided. In one aspect, a method of forming a device includes: forming a pattern on a substrate of alternating mandrels and spacers alongside the mandrels; selectively removing the mandrels from a front portion of the pattern forming gaps between the spacers; selectively removing the spacers from a back portion of the pattern forming gaps between the mandrels; filling i) the gaps between the spacers with a conductor to form first electrodes and ii) the gaps between the mandrels with the conductor to form second electrodes; and etching the mandrels and the spacers in a central portion of the pattern to form a channel (e.g., a nanochannel) between the first electrodes and the second electrodes, wherein the first electrodes and the second electrodes are offset from one another across the channel, i.e., interleaved. A device formed by the method is also provided.

A process for making a nanoduct includes: disposing an etchant catalyst on a semiconductor substrate including a single crystal structure; heating the semiconductor substrate to an etching temperature; introducing an oxidant; contacting the semiconductor substrate with the oxidant in a presence of the etchant catalyst; anisotropically etching the semiconductor substrate by the etchant catalyst in a presence of the oxidant in an etch direction that is coincident along a crystallographic axis of the semiconductor substrate; and forming the nanoduct as the etchant catalyst propagates along a surface of the semiconductor substrate during anisotropically etching the semiconductor substrate, the nanoduct being crystallographically aligned with the crystallographic axis of the semiconductor substrate.

Carbon opals, a form of colloidal crystal, are composed of ordered two-dimensional or three-dimensional arrays of Monodispersed Starburst Carbon Spheres (MSCS). Methods for producing such carbon opals include oxidizing as-synthesized MSCS, for example by heating in air, to increase surface charge. Such oxidation is believed to decrease settling rates of a colloidal suspension, enabling formation of an ordered colloidal crystal. Inverse opals, composed of any of a wide variety of materials, and based on a carbon opal template, have a reciprocal structure to a carbon opal. Inverse opals are formed by methods including: forming a carbon opal as described, impregnating a desired material into pores in the carbon opal to produce a hybrid structure, and removing the carbon portion from the hybrid structure.

A process for making a nanoduct includes: disposing an etchant catalyst on a semiconductor substrate including a single crystal structure; heating the semiconductor substrate to an etching temperature; introducing an oxidant; contacting the semiconductor substrate with the oxidant in a presence of the etchant catalyst; anisotropically etching the semiconductor substrate by the etchant catalyst in a presence of the oxidant in an etch direction that is coincident along a crystallographic axis of the semiconductor substrate; and forming the nanoduct as the etchant catalyst propagates along a surface of the semiconductor substrate during anisotropically etching the semiconductor substrate, the nanoduct being crystallographically aligned with the crystallographic axis of the semiconductor substrate.

Provided is a counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cell which is superior in catalytic activity and is also suitable for mass production, a dye-sensitized solar cell including the counter electrode, and a solar cell module obtained using the dye-sensitized solar cell. The counter electrode includes a support and a catalyst layer formed on or over the support, the catalyst layer containing specific carbon nanotubes. The dye-sensitized solar cell includes the counter electrode, and the solar cell module includes the dye-sensitized solar cell.

A self-assembled carbon structure such as a carbon opal is disclosed herein. The structure is composed of hydrophilic carbon spheres oriented in a periodic colloidal crystal structure, wherein the carbon spheres have a porous surface, wherein the carbons spheres have an average particle diameter less than 3000 nm. Also disclosed is an inverse opal structure that includes a plurality of voids in the structural material. The voids are regularly arranged in an ordered periodic structure, the voids having a spherical shape. The inverse opal structure has a specific surface area greater than 100 m.sup.2/g and method for making the same together with materials that employ the same.