Templated Control of Au nanospheres in Silica Nanowires

Journal Article · Thu Mar 15 00:00:00 EDT 2007 · Journal of Applied Physics

OSTI ID:943834

Tringe, J W; Vanamu, G; Zaidi, S H

The formation of regularly-spaced metal nanostructures in selectively-placed insulating nanowires is an important step toward realization of a wide range of nano-scale electronic and opto-electronic devices. Here we report templated synthesis of Au nanospheres embedded in silica nanowires, with nanospheres consistently spaced with a period equal to three times their diameter. Under appropriate conditions, nanowires form exclusively on Si nanostructures because of enhanced local oxidation and reduced melting temperatures relative to templates with larger dimensions. We explain the spacing of the nanospheres with a general model based on a vapor-liquid-solid mechanism, in which an Au/Si alloy dendrite remains liquid in the nanotube until a critical Si concentration is achieved locally by silicon oxide-generated nanowire growth. Additional Si oxidation then locally reduces the surface energy of the Au-rich alloy by creating a new surface with minimum area inside of the nanotube. The isolated liquid domain subsequently evolves to become an Au nanosphere, and the process is repeated.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 943834
• Report Number(s): UCRL-JRNL-229297; JAPIAU; TRN: US200902%%440
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 104, Issue 9; ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
42 ENGINEERING
37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUMM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ALLOYS
DENDRITES
DIMENSIONS
MELTING
NANOSTRUCTURES
NANOTUBES
OXIDATION
SILICA
SILICON
SURFACE ENERGY
SYNTHESIS