title: Tungsten oxide nanowire growth by chemically induced strain.
abstract: We have investigated the formation of tungsten oxide nanowires under different chemical vapor deposition (CVD) conditions. We find that exposure of oxidized tungsten films to hydrogen and methane at 900 degrees C leads to the formation of a dense array of typically 10 nm diameter nanowires. Structural and chemical analysis shows that the wires are crystalline WO3. We propose a chemically driven whisker growth mechanism in which interfacial strain associated with the formation of tungsten carbide stimulates nanowire growth. This might be a general concept, applicable also to other nanowire systems.
authors.affiliation: IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, 1101 Kitchawan Road, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598, USA. cklinke@us.ibm.com
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Klinke
authors.forename: James B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Hannon
authors.forename: Lynne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gignac
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Reuter
authors.forename: Phaedon
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Avouris