title: Control of Separation and Diameter of Ag Nanorods through Self-organized Seeds.
abstract: This paper proposes a mechanism of controlling the diameter and separation of metallic nanorods from physical vapor deposition through self-organized seeds and experimentally demonstrates the feasibility using Ag as the prototype metal, In as the seed, and Si the substrate. Being non-wetting on Si substrates, deposited In atoms self-organize into islands. Subsequently deposited Ag atoms attach to In islands, rather than to Si substrates, due to preferential bonding and geometrical shadowing. The experimental results show that self-organized In seeds of 5 nm nominal thickness give rise to the best separation and the smallest diameter of Ag nanorods.
authors.affiliation: Mechanical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.|Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Paul R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Elliott
authors.affiliation: Mechanical Engineering, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA.
authors.forename: Stephen P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Stagon
authors.affiliation: Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Hanchen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Huang