Capillary-driven growth of metallic nanowires. (December 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Amram, Dor; Kovalenko, Oleg; Klinger, Leonid; Rabkin, Eugen
• Is Part Of: Scripta materialia. Volume 109(2015)
• Page Start: 44
• Page End: 47
• Publication Date: 2015-12
• Subjects: Nanowires -- Iron -- Interface diffusion -- Thin films -- Coarsening; Materials -- Periodicals; Metallurgy -- Periodicals; Metalen; Legeringen; Materiaalkunde; Metals, metalworking and machinery industries; Metals; Electronic journals; 620.11
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scriptamat.2015.07.014
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1359-6462

Abstract

Graphical abstract: Abstract: We report the spontaneous growth of high aspect ratio Fe nanowires from isolated Fe nanoparticles of equilibrium shape, formed after agglomeration of a thin Fe film on sapphire. Nanowire growth is "self-sufficient": no catalyst is required, and the agglomerated film itself is the only source of material. We discuss this phenomenon in terms of capillary-driven Fe diffusion on the substrate and along the nanowire/substrate interface. A semi-quantitative growth model is developed and the implications for other materials are discussed.