Optimized fabrication and structural properties of well aligned metallic nanowires

Abstract

Study of controlling of matter at extremely small atomic and molecular scale, having size of 0.1 to 100 nm is called nanotechnology. The materials whose dimensions are on the nanoscale are called nanomaterials. Surface area and quantum confinement effects are the two important principle factors of nanomaterials. Nanowires are just like normal electrical wires other than the fact that they are extremely small. Like conventional wires, nanowires can be made from a variety of conducting and semiconducting materials like copper, silver, gold, iron, silicon, zinc oxide and germanium. In this thesis we grow metallic nanowires of zinc, cobalt, iron and nickel by AC electro-deposition method on anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates. For this purpose 1st of all anodic aluminum oxide has been prepared as a substrate by two step anodization method. Six steps are there includes cutting, polishing, 1st anodization step, heat treatment, 2nd anodization step and barrier breakdown step. Three major factors which affects anodization mechanism and template pores are voltage, temperature and time of anodization. The deposition solutions of cobalt sulphate (CoSO4), iron sulphate (FeSO4), nickel sulphate (NiSO4) and zinc sulphate (ZnSO4) have been prepared for the depositon of nanowires. AAO template has given 15V AC and dipped in 100ml solution of cobalt sulphate, iron sulphate, nickel sulphate and zinc sulphate. Nanowires have been deposited on AAO template. For the characterization of surface morphology, topography and surface image, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) is done. Quality of the crystal structure is identified by X-ray diffraction (XRD)