Formation of arrays of straight copper wires on solid substrate by electrodeposition

Straight copper wire arrays are electrochemically deposited on a silicon su bstrate without utilizing additives or templates. To suppress the influence of the factors which arouse the ramification of the copper electrodeposit, an ultrathin electrochemical deposition system and an initially homogeneou s electric field are used. The width of the copper wires may vary from abou t 200 nm to about 1.5 mum depending on the control parameters. The microstr ucture of the copper wires and their electric resistance after vacuum-annea ling at 200 degreesC are studied. We suggest that this self-organized coppe r electrodeposition is helpful in gaining an understanding of the formation of dense-branching morphology. It also implies the potential application i n microelectronics.