Template-Based Synthesis of Nano/Micro Structures on a Semiconducting Substrate

In recent years, nano/micro wires have attracted considerable attention because of their extraordinary physical properties and enormous potential for applications in numerous fields of research and technology. Among the methods widely used to create nanowires, electrochemical deposition in the pores of ion-track polymer membranes have turned out to be very suitable. This method may also be used to synthesize nano/micro structures on the substrate itself to prevent post-synthesis manipulations. For this, the polycarbonate layer is spin coated on the semiconducting substrate and then irradiated with heavy ions. Chemical etching of these latent tracks leads to the formation of nano-/micro-size pores. After depositing metal in these pores, the polycarbonate templates are removed by dissolving them in dichloromethane, leading to the formation of nanowires standing on the substrate itself. Using this technique, we have studied VI characteristics of metallic nano/micro wires grown on the silicon substrate. These nano/micro structures show Schottky behavior when forward biased and ohmic behavior when reversed biased.