Planar nanowire arrays formed by atomic-terrace low-angle shadowing
Abstract
A relatively simple method for preparation of planar nanowire arrays on vicinal substrates by molecular beam epitaxy is presented. The atomic step-and-terrace morphology of vicinal substrates is used to produce a shadowing effect on a highly collimated molecular beam at an oblique incidence to the substrate. The collimation is achieved by placing the evaporation source at a large working distance (40-100cm) from the substrate. The method's capabilities have been demonstrated by preparation of arrays of Ag and Au nanowires on vicinal Si(111) and α-Al2O3 (0001) substrates. Nanowires with a width of down to 10-15nm and a thickness of 1.5nm have been readily achieved.
- Publication:
-
Review of Scientific Instruments
- Pub Date:
- May 2008
- DOI:
- 10.1063/1.2929835
- Bibcode:
- 2008RScI...79e3907C
- Keywords:
-
- 81.16.-c;
- 81.15.Hi;
- 68.65.-k;
- Methods of nanofabrication and processing;
- Molecular atomic ion and chemical beam epitaxy;
- Low-dimensional mesoscopic and nanoscale systems: structure and nonelectronic properties