Article Title

Precise control of highly ordered arrays of nested semiconductor/metal nanotubes

Authors

Diefeng Gu, Department of Electrical Engineering, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia 23529, USA The Applied Research Center, Newport News, Virginia 23606, USA
Helmut Baumgart, Department of Electrical Engineering, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia 23529, USA The Applied Research Center, Newport News, Virginia 23606, USA
Kandabara Tapily, Department of Electrical Engineering, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia 23529, USA The Applied Research Center, Newport News, Virginia 23606, USA
Pragya Shrestha, Department of Electrical Engineering, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia 23529, USA The Applied Research Center, Newport News, Virginia 23606, USA
Gon Namkoong, Department of Electrical Engineering, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia 23529, USA The Applied Research Center, Newport News, Virginia 23606, USA
Xianyu Ao, Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Halle, Germany
Frank Müller, Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Halle, Germany

Keywords

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) platinum nanotubes, semiconductor/metal nanotubes, microporous Si templates, nanoporous alumina templates, multilayer nested nanotubes

Abstract

Lithographically defined microporous templates in conjunction with the atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique enable remarkable control of complex novel nested nanotube structures. So far three-dimensional control of physical process parameters has not been fully realized with high precision resolution, and requires optimization in order to achieve a wider range of potential applications. Furthermore, the combination of composite insulating oxide layers alternating with semiconducting layers and metals can provide various types of novel applications and eventually provide unique and advanced levels of multifunctional nanoscale devices. Semiconducting TiO2 nanotubes have potential applications in photovoltaic devices. The combination of nanostructured semiconducting materials with nested metal nanotubes has the potential to produce novel multifunctional vertically-ordered three-dimensional nanodevices. Platinum growth by ALD has been explored, covering the initial stages of the thin film nucleation process and the synthesis of high aspect ratio nanotube structures. The penetration depth of the Pt into porous templates having various pore sizes and aspect ratios has been investigated. Several multi-walled nested TiO2–Pt nanotubes in series have been successfully fabricated using microporous Si templates. These innovative nested nanostructures have the potential to produce novel multifunctional vertically-ordered three-dimensional nanodevices in photovoltaic and sensing technologies.

Graphical Abstract

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-010-0066-9

Publisher

Tsinghua University Press

Recommended Citation

Diefeng Gu,Helmut Baumgart,Kandabara Tapily,Pragya Shrestha,Gon Namkoong,Xianyu Ao,Frank Müller, Precise control of highly ordered arrays of nested semiconductor/metal nanotubes. NanoRes.2011, 4(2): 164–170