Nanoscale chemical and structural characterization of transient metallic nanowires using aberration-corrected STEM-EELS

Direct chemical and structural characterization of transient iron-nickel alloy nanowires was performed at subnanometer spatial resolution using probe spherical aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy and electron energy-loss spectroscopy. Nanowires with diameter less than 2 nm retaining their nominal bulk alloy composition were observed. In some cases, the nanowires were oxidized. Before rupture, a nanojunction as thin as three atoms in width could be imaged. The time-dependent structural analyses revealed the nanowire rupture mechanisms. It is found that the atoms on the {111} planes were the easiest to be removed by electron irradiation and fluctuations between low-energy and high-energy facets were observed. The hitherto unknown rich variety of structural and chemical behavior in alloyed magnetic nanojunctions should be considered for understanding their physical properties.     

Synthesis and characterization of cobalt–nickel alloy nanowires

We report on the synthesis and magnetic characterization of ordered arrays of cobalt–nickel alloy nanowires. These alloy nanowires were electrodeposited into the pores of anodic alumina templates. The physical properties of the samples were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometer. We found that for the alloy nanowires the field at which the magnetization saturates increases with increasing Co fraction and the saturation field in the normal direction is smaller than the parallel direction, indicating easy magnetization direction normal to wire axis. Nanowires with different compositional ratio of cobalt and nickel showed a nonlinear dependence of coercivity as a function of cobalt concentration. These findings will help tailor magnetic nanoalloys with controlled properties for various applications, such as high density magnetic storage or nanoelectrode arrays.     

Effect of molecular adsorption on the electrical conductance of single au nanowires fabricated by electron-beam lithography and focused ion beam etching

Metal nanowires are one of the potential candidates for nanostructured sensing elements used in future portable devices for chemical detection; however, the optimal methods for fabrication have yet to be fully explored. Two routes to nanowire fabrication, electron-beam lithography (EBL) and focused ion beam (FIB) etching, are studied, and their electrical and chemical sensing properties are compared. Although nanowires fabricated by both techniques exhibit ohmic conductance, I-V characterization indicates that nanowires fabricated by FIB etching exhibit abnormally high resistivity. In addition, the resistivity of nanowires fabricated by FIB etching shows very low sensitivity toward molecular adsorption, while those fabricated by EBL exhibit sensitive resistance change upon exposure to solution-phase adsorbates. The mean grain sizes of nanowires prepared by FIB etching are much smaller than those fabricated by EBL, so their resistance is dominated by grain-boundary scattering. As a result, these nanowires are much less sensitive to molecular adsorption, which mediates nanowire conduction through surface scattering. The much reduced mean grain sizes of these nanowires correlate with Ga ion damage caused during the ion milling process. Thus, even though the nanowires prepared by FIB etching can be smaller than their EBL counterparts, their reduced sensitivity to adsorption suggests that nanowires produced by EBL are preferred for chemical and biochemical sensing applications.     

Magnetometry of Individual Polycrystalline Ferromagnetic Nanowires

Ferromagnetic nanowires are finding use as untethered sensors and actuators for probing micro‐ and nanoscale biophysical phenomena, such as for localized sensing and application of forces and torques on biological samples, for tissue heating through magnetic hyperthermia, and for microrheology. Quantifying the magnetic properties of individual isolated nanowires is crucial for such applications. Dynamic cantilever magnetometry is used to measure the magnetic properties of individual sub‐500 nm diameter polycrystalline nanowires of Ni and Ni₈₀Co₂₀ fabricated by template‐assisted electrochemical deposition. The values are compared with bulk, ensemble measurements when the nanowires are still embedded within their growth matrix. It is found that single‐particle and ensemble measurements of nanowires yield significantly different results that reflect inter‐nanowire interactions and chemical modifications of the sample during the release process from the growth matrix. The results highlight the importance of performing single‐particle characterization for objects that will be used as individual magnetic nanoactuators or nanosensors in biomedical applications.     

STM选择局部氧化硅表面构造纳米结构图形的研究

利用扫描隧道显微镜对氢钝化的硅表面进行选择性氧化 ,形成了纳米尺度的线条。利用此氧化物线条作为腐蚀掩模进行化学腐蚀 ,使未氧化区被腐蚀 ,从而实现了图形转移。对此工艺和机理进行了研究。证明此工艺可以进行量子尺寸图形结构的加工 ,进而可以发展成为量子器件集成工艺。为了研究氧化层形成的机理 ,采用了低真空中低能电子束曝光实验。电子探针测量结果表明 ,在低能电子作用区可以测得氧成分 ,而非作用区则无氧成分 ,证明电子对氧化起到主要的作用。场可能起到增强氧化的作用     

Striped Metal Nanowires as Building Blocks and Optical Tags

Sequential electrodeposition within a porous template can be used to prepare striped nanowires with tailorable dimensions and composition. Variations in composition along the length of the wire can be used to incorporate electrical functionality, optical contrast, and/or desired surface chemistry. Nanowires can be functionalized with chemical or biochemical reagents appropriate for assembly or biosensing. Therefore, these particles are interesting as building blocks for nanoscale electronics and as “barcodes” for both biological and non‐biological tagging applications. In this article, we briefly discuss the synthesis and optical readout of striped metal nanowires, as well as progress towards each of these potential applications.     

Electrical properties of self-assembled branched InAs nanowire junctions

We investigate electrical properties of self-assembled branched InAs nanowires. The branched nanowires are catalytically grown using chemical beam epitaxy, and three-terminal nanoelectronic devices are fabricated from the branched nanowires using electron-beam lithography. We demonstrate that, in difference from conventional macroscopic junctions, the fabricated self-assembled nanowire junction devices exhibit tunable nonlinear electrical characteristics and a signature of ballistic electron transport. As an example of applications, we demonstrate that the self-assembled three-terminal nanowire junctions can be used to implement the functions of frequency mixing, multiplication, and phase-difference detection of input electrical signals at room temperature. Our results suggest a wide range of potential applications of branched semiconductor nanostructures in nanoelectronics.     

Broadband photodetector of high quality Sb2S3 nanowire grown by chemical vapor deposition

Low dimensional semiconductors can be used for various electronic and optoelectronic devices because of their unique structure and property.In this work,one-dimensional Sb2S3 nanowires(NWs)with high crystallinity were grown via chemical vapor deposition(CVD)technique on SiO2/Si substrates.The Sb2S 3 NWs exhibited needle-like structures with inclined cross-sections.The lengths of Sb2S3 nanowires changed from 7 to 13 pm.The photodetection properties of Sb2S3 nanowires were comprehensively and systematically characterized.The Sb2S3 photodetectors show a broadband photoresponse ranging from ultraviolet(360 nm)to near-infrared(785 nm).An excellent specific detectivity of 2.1×1014 Jones,high external quantum efficiency of 1.5×104％,sensitivity of 2.2×104 cm2W-1 and short response time of less than 100 ms was achieved for the Sb2S3 NW photodetectors.Moreover,the Sb2S3 NWs showed out-standing switch cycling stability that was beneficial to the practical applications.The high-quality Sb2S3 nanowires fabricated by CVD have great application potential in semiconductor and optoelectronic fields.     

Toward optimized light utilization in nanowire arrays using scalable nanosphere lithography and selected area growth

Vertically aligned, catalyst-free semiconducting nanowires hold great potential for photovoltaic applications, in which achieving scalable synthesis and optimized optical absorption simultaneously is critical. Here, we report combining nanosphere lithography (NSL) and selected area metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (SA-MOCVD) for the first time for scalable synthesis of vertically aligned gallium arsenide nanowire arrays, and surprisingly, we show that such nanowire arrays with patterning defects due to NSL can be as good as highly ordered nanowire arrays in terms of optical absorption and reflection. Wafer-scale patterning for nanowire synthesis was done using a polystyrene nanosphere template as a mask. Nanowires grown from substrates patterned by NSL show similar structural features to those patterned using electron beam lithography (EBL). Reflection of photons from the NSL-patterned nanowire array was used as a measure of the effect of defects present in the structure. Experimentally, we show that GaAs nanowires as short as 130 nm show reflection of <10% over the visible range of the solar spectrum. Our results indicate that a highly ordered nanowire structure is not necessary: despite the "defects" present in NSL-patterned nanowire arrays, their optical performance is similar to "defect-free" structures patterned by more costly, time-consuming EBL methods. Our scalable approach for synthesis of vertical semiconducting nanowires can have application in high-throughput and low-cost optoelectronic devices, including solar cells.     

Defect-driven synthesis of self-assembled single crystal titanium nanowires via electrochemistry

One-dimensional single crystal nanostructures have garnered much attention, from their low-dimensional physics to their technological uses, due to their unique properties and potential applications, from sensors to interconnects. There is an increasing interest in metallic titanium nanowires, yet their single crystal form has not been actualized. Vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) and template-assisted top-down methods are common means for nanowire synthesis; however, each has limitations with respect to nanowire composition and crystallinity. Here we show a simple electrochemical method to generate single crystal titanium nanowires on monocrystalline NiTi substrates. This work is a significant advance in addressing the challenge of growing single crystal titanium nanowires, which had been precluded by titanium's reactivity. Nanowires grew non-parallel to the surface and in a periodic arrangement along specific substrate directions; this behavior is attributed to a defect-driven mechanism. This synthesis technique ushers in new and rapid routes for single crystal metallic nanostructures, which have considerable implications for nanoscale electronics.     

AlN nanowires: synthesis, physical properties, and nanoelectronics applications

One-dimensional aluminum nitride (AlN) nanostructures, especially AlN nanowires, have been subjected to numerous investigations due to their unique physical properties and applications ranging from electronics to biomedical. This article reviews the synthesis of AlN nanowires and studies their physical properties and potential nanoelectronics applications. First, the different fabrication techniques used to synthesize AlN nanowires and their growth mechanisms are discussed. Next, the physical properties of AlN nanowires, such as the field emission, transport, photoluminescence, as well as the mechanical and piezoelectric properties are summarized. Finally, the potential applications of AlN nanowires in the field of nanoelectronics are described. Furthermore, this review summarizes the perspectives and outlooks on the future development of AlN nanowires.     

Fabrication of periodic metal nanowires with microscale mold by nanoimprint lithography

In this paper, a simple method is demonstrated for fabricating periodic metal nanowires based on the unconventional nanoimprint lithography (NIL) technique. Using this method, sub-100 nm metal nanowires with the rectangular cross-section are fabricated with microscale stamp. Furthermore, the metal nanowires with different widths and heights can be generated by adjusting the imprinting parameters with the same stamp. The metal nanowires prepared with this method can be used for chemical sensing, such as ammonia sensing, and it may have applications in optical signal processing.     

Integrating nanowires with substrates using directed assembly and nanoscale soldering

This paper describes a new methodology for integrating nanowires with micropatterned substrates using directed assembly and nanoscale soldering. Nanowires containing ferromagnetic nickel segments were fabricated by electrodeposition in nanoporous membranes. The nanowires were released by dissolution of the membrane and subsequently aligned relative to micropatterned substrates using magnetic field-directed assembly. After assembly, the wires were permanently bonded to the substrates using solder reflow to form low-resistance electrical contacts. This is the first demonstration of the use of nanoscale solder reflow to form low-resistance electrical interconnects between nanowires and substrates, and we demonstrated the utility of the strategy by fabricating a nanowire-based functional analog integrator.     

Optical trapping and integration of semiconductor nanowire assemblies in water

Semiconductor nanowires have received much attention owing to their potential use as building blocks of miniaturized electrical, nanofluidic and optical devices. Although chemical nanowire synthesis procedures have matured and now yield nanowires with specific compositions and growth directions, the use of these materials in scientific, biomedical and microelectronic applications is greatly restricted owing to a lack of methods to assemble nanowires into complex heterostructures with high spatial and angular precision. Here we show that an infrared single-beam optical trap can be used to individually trap, transfer and assemble high-aspect-ratio semiconductor nanowires into arbitrary structures in a fluid environment. Nanowires with diameters as small as 20 nm and aspect ratios of more than 100 can be trapped and transported in three dimensions, enabling the construction of nanowire architectures that may function as active photonic devices. Moreover, nanowire structures can now be assembled in physiological environments, offering new forms of chemical, mechanical and optical stimulation of living cells.     

Facile one-pot preparation of silver nanowires using an alcohol ionic liquid

Silver nanowires have attracted considerable attention in the past decade, due to their unique physical and chemical properties, which can lead to a wide variety of potential applications. In this work, silver nanowires have been fabricated using an alcohol ionic liquid by a one-step method in the absence of any extra capping agents. The method is based on the reduction of AgNO₃ by 1-(3-hydroxylpropyl)-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (C₃OHmimBF₄) in an aqueous solution at 180°C for 18 h. The products were characterized by a scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectrograph (EDS), and powder X-ray diffractometry (XRD). The experimental results indicate that both reaction temperature and special properties of C₃OHmimBF₄ play important roles in the formation of silver nanowires.     

Organic Nanowire Fabrication and Device Applications

Organic nanowires (ONWs) are flexible, stretchable, and have good electrical properties, and therefore have great potential for use in next‐generation textile and wearable electronics. Analysis of trends in ONWs supports their great potential for various stretchable and flexible electronic applications such as flexible displays and flexible photovoltaics. Numerous methods can be used to prepare ONWs, but the practical industrial application of ONWs has not been achieved because of the lack of reliable techniques for controlling and patterning of individual nanowires. Therefore, an “individually controllable” technique to fabricate ONWs is essential for practical device applications. In this paper, three types of fabrication methods of ONWs are reviewed: non‐alignment methods, massive‐alignment methods, and individual‐alignment methods. Recent research on electronic and photonic device applications of ONWs is then reviewed. Finally, suggestions for future research are put forward.     

Single nanoskived nanowires for electrochemical applications

In this work, we fabricate gold nanowires with well controlled critical dimensions using a recently demonstrated facile approach termed nanoskiving. Nanowires are fabricated with lengths of several hundreds of micrometers and are easily electrically contacted using overlay electrodes. Following fabrication, nanowire device performance is assessed using both electrical and electrochemical characterization techniques. We observe low electrical resistances with typical linear Ohmic responses from fully packaged nanowire devices. Steady-state cyclic voltammograms in ferrocenemonocarboxylic acid demonstrate scan rate independence up to 1000 mV s(-1). Electrochemical responses are excellently described by classical Butler-Volmer kinetics, displaying a fast, heterogeneous electron transfer kinetics, k(0) = 2.27 ± 0.02 cm s(-1), α = 0.4 ± 0.01. Direct reduction of hydrogen peroxide is observed at nanowires across the 110 pM to 1 mM concentration range, without the need for chemical modification, demonstrating the potential of these devices for electrochemical applications.     

阳极氧化铝样模法制备纳米线阵列的发展概况

对金属纳米线的研究和发展进行了回顾和展望:在多孔阳极氧化铝模板上可制备出不同直径和长度的纳米管或纳米线阵列;所制备的纳米线有着光、电、磁、催化等特性,具有广泛的用途及发展前景.     

铜纳米线阵列的模板组装

采用电解法溶解多孔阳极氧化铝(PAA)模板的阻挡层,用直流电沉积的方法在模板中组装了铜纳米线阵列.分别用扫描电镜和X射线衍射表征铜纳米线阵列的形貌和晶体结构,用电化学法表征了铜纳米线阵列的电催化性能.结果表明,PAA去阻挡层后,伏安图上出现一个阳极氧化峰.恒电位沉积的铜纳米线直径为22nm,沿(111)晶面择优取向.铜纳米线阵列电极能催化亚硝酸根的还原,其催化电流比本体铜电极上大2倍,峰电位正移80mV.纳米铜阵列电极可用于亚硝酸盐的电化学检测.     

Generation of λ/12 nanowires in chalcogenide glasses

Nanowires have been widely studied and have gained a lot of interest in the past decade. Because of their high refractive index and high nonlinearity, chalcogenide glasses (ChGs) are a good candidate for the fabrication of photonic nanowires as such nanowaveguides provide the maximal confinement of light, enabling large enhancement of nonlinear interactions and group-velocity dispersion engineering. Here we report on the generation of λ/12 (～68 nm) nanowires based on the theoretical and experimental study of the influence of the laser repetition rate on the direct laser fabrication in ChGs (λ = 800 nm). Through a numerical model of cumulative heating, the optimum conditions for high-resolution fabrication in As(2)S(3) are found. Nanowires with dimensions down to ～λ/12 are for the first time successfully fabricated in ChGs. We show that the generated nanowires can be stacked to form a three-dimensional woodpile photonic crystal with a pronounced stop gap.