Making a Wire Lithograph & Pressure Sensor Nanotechnology ST

Developed in partnership with Argonne National Laboratory, this kit gives your students the opportunity to apply a revolutionary nanotechnology manufacturing technique to grow nano-scale and micro-scale copper wires. Using a unique ultra nanocrystalline diamond (UNCD) electrode, students use traditional electroplating and lithography (E&L) techniques to grow pattern-shaped wires that become the essential components that can be used to fabricate optical and electrical sensors and other devices. This kit covers the following concepts:  Measurement scales / perspectives, Unique properties at nanoscale, and Fabricating nano / microscale structures, Creating nano / microscale lithographic wire patterns. Designed for use by 40 students working in groups of 4. Activity 1 - Making a Wire Lithograph (GUIDED – MODEL EXPERIMENT) Students incorporate the UNCD electrode in a traditional electroplating apparatus and apply a 9V potential to electroplate star wire patterns. Depending upon electroplating time (minutes), students create and transfer invisible (nanoscale) or visible (microscale) wires in a star pattern onto sticky tape. In the process they learn directly about scale (nano to macro) scale prospective. Your students observe these wire patterns placed on microscope slides under low (<100X) magnification. They assess how electroplating time (electro deposition) affects wire length (and corresponding wire pattern visibility) and how wire patterns can be consistently produced and reliably transferred onto a flexible support medium (sticky tape). These learned skills form the basis for future student design applications – such as incorporating copper wire lithographs into sensors or creating light diffraction gratings. Activity 2 - Making a Conductive Pressure Sensor (GUIDED – INQUIRY EXPERIMENT) Students apply their knowledge of nanomanufacturing (E&L) to create nanowire and microwire patterns that can be used to create a pressure sensor. Students learn what a sensor is and use their observational electro-deposition data (from the previous activity) to design, manufacture, and test a conductive ‘bridge’ (pressure ‘sensor’) allowing illumination of a 9V LED lamp. Kit is provided with an access code for downloadable activity guides and other support information, including: Teacher Guide, Student Guide, Glossary, Background Information: Learning About Nanotechnology, Videos (Nano Frontiers MP4, Nano Manufacturing: Electroplate and Lift Lithography, Making Nanowires mp4 ), Powerpoints (Making a Microwire Lithograph ppt / mp4 and Nano Technology: A Closer Look at the Universe of ‘little’ ppt / mp4), Poster: A Closer Look at Nanowires