D. Routkevitch et al., NONLITHOGRAPHIC NANO-WIRE ARRAYS - FABRICATION, PHYSICS, AND DEVICE APPLICATIONS, I.E.E.E. transactions on electron devices, 43(10), 1996, pp. 1646-1658
A novel system of nanostructures is described consisting of nonlithogr
aphically produced arrays of nano-wires directly electrodeposited into
porous anodic aluminum oxide templates. Using this method regular and
uniform arrays of metal or semiconductor nano-wires or nano-dots can
be created with diameters ranging from similar to 5 nm to several hund
red nanometers and with areal pore densities in the similar to 10(9)-1
0(11) cm(-2) range. We report on the present state of their fabricatio
n, properties, and prospective device applications. Results of X-ray d
iffraction, Raman and magnetic measurements on metal (Ni, Fe) and semi
conductor (CdS, CdSe, CdSxSe1-x, CdxZn1-xS and GaAs) wires are present
ed. The I-V characteristics of two terminal devices made from the nano
-arrays are found to exhibit room temperature periodic conductance osc
illations and Coulomb-blockade like current staircases. These observat
ions are likely associated with the ultra-small tunnel junctions that
are formed naturally in the arrays. Single-electron tunneling (SET) in
the presence of interwire coupling in these arrays is shown to lead t
o the spontaneous electrostatic polarization of the wires. Possible de
vice applications such as magnetic memory or sensors, electroluminesce
nt flat-panel displays, and nanoelectronic and single-electronic devic
es are also discussed.