Two-dimensional self-organization of an ordered Au silicide nanowire network on a Si(110)-16 x 2 surface

Small. 2009 Aug 17;5(16):1855-61. doi: 10.1002/smll.200900286.

Abstract

A well-ordered two-dimensional (2D) network consisting of two crossed Au silicide nanowire (NW) arrays is self-organized on a Si(110)-16 x 2 surface by the direct-current heating of approximately 1.5 monolayers of Au on the surface at 1100 K. Such a highly regular crossbar nanomesh exhibits both a perfect long-range spatial order and a high integration density over a mesoscopic area, and these two self-ordering crossed arrays of parallel-aligned NWs have distinctly different sizes and conductivities. NWs are fabricated with widths and pitches as small as approximately 2 and approximately 5 nm, respectively. The difference in the conductivities of two crossed-NW arrays opens up the possibility for their utilization in nanodevices of crossbar architecture. Scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy studies show that the 2D self-organization of this perfect Au silicide nanomesh can be achieved through two different directional electromigrations of Au silicide NWs along different orientations of two nonorthogonal 16 x 2 domains, which are driven by the electrical field of direct-current heating. Prospects for this Au silicide nanomesh are also discussed.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Crystallization / methods
  • Electric Conductivity
  • Electrochemistry / methods
  • Equipment Design
  • Gold / chemistry*
  • Metal Nanoparticles / chemistry*
  • Microelectrodes
  • Microscopy, Scanning Tunneling
  • Nanotechnology / methods*
  • Nanowires / chemistry*
  • Pressure
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Silicon / chemistry*
  • Surface Properties
  • Temperature

Substances

  • Gold
  • Silicon