Precision transport and assembling of nanowires in suspension by electric fields

We describe a method of precision transport of nanowires in suspension using a combination of dielectrophoretic force and electrophoretic force, which, respectively, aligns and transports the nanowires. The transport of nanowires can be made to follow any prescribed trajectory with any orientation by the voltages applied to the patterned electrodes. The same method applies to multiwall carbon nanotubes as well. We have joined end to end two oppositely charged nanowires separated by 200 mu m into a microelectromechanical device. (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics.