Numerical Simulation of Vibration-Enhanced Liquid Precursor Filling in Porous Nanostructures

The filling and curing of liquid precursor in porous templates is a common method to construct functional materials with nanostructures, such as advanced electrodes and actuators. However, the filling of liquid precursors, especially those with high viscosity, in micro/nano structures remains challenging. Here, we propose a strategy to enhance the filling of liquid precursor in porous nanostructures by using three-dimensional vibration assistance. We numerically simulate the filling effects of different frequencies and amplitudes of the vibration without introducing complex energy fields. To simplify the computational model and enhance convergence, a numerical model is established under a two-dimensional physical field. The results indicate that the filling depth can be obviously enhanced by vibration assistance. Compared with the filling without external assistance, the introduction of horizontal vibration at frequency of 600 Hz and amplitude of 400 nm enables the filling rate to be increased by 102%, while the vertical vibration at frequency of 500 Hz and amplitude of 200 nm results in an increase of filling rates by 160%. Under the optimal parameters, the coupled 3D oscillations enables complete fluid domain filling in the computational model. The proposed method holds promise for enhancing the filling rates of high viscosity solutions and reducing filling defects in porous nanostructures, demonstrating its excellent practical value in the fabrication of nano-devices through templating methods.