Aluminum Nanowire Arrays via Directed Assembly.
Freestanding and vertically-oriented metal nanowire arrays have potential utility in a number of applications, but presently lack a route to fabrication. Template-based techniques, such as electrodeposition into lithographically defined nanopore arrays, have produced well-ordered nanowire arrays with a maximum pitch of about 2 μm; such nanowires, however, tend to cluster due to local attractive forces. Here, we modify this template fabrication method to produce well-ordered, vertically-oriented, freestanding Al nanowire arrays, etched from an underlying Al substrate, with highly tunable pitch. In addition, optical measurements demonstrated that the nanowires support the propagation of surface plasmon polaritons.
Department of Physics, Boston College , 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States.
Nathan T
NT
Nesbitt
Department of Physics, Boston College , 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States.
Juan M
JM
Merlo
Department of Physics, Boston College , 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States.
Aaron H
AH
Rose
Department of Physics, Boston College , 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States.
Yitzi M
YM
Calm
Department of Physics, Boston College , 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States.
Krzysztof
K
Kempa
Department of Physics, Boston College , 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States.
Michael J
MJ
Burns
Department of Physics, Boston College , 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States.
Michael J
MJ
Naughton
Metal nanowires; anodized aluminum oxide (AAO); plasmonics