1Department of Physics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074
2Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
3Department of Physics and Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong
Growth of Indium Nanorods by Magnetron Sputtering
WEI He-Lin1;HUANG Han-Chen2;ZHANG Xi-Xiang3
1Department of Physics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074
2Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
3Department of Physics and Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong
Abstract： Indium nanorods are grown on silicon substrates by using magnetron-sputtering technique. Film morphologies and nanorod microstructure are investigated by using scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and x-ray diffraction. It is found that the mean diameter of the nanorods ranges from 30nm to 100nm and the height ranges from 30nm to 200nm. The HRTEM investigations show that the indium nanorods are single crystals and grow along the [100] axis. The nanorods grow from the facets near the surface undulation that is caused by compressive stress in the indium grains generated during grain coalescence process. For low melting point and high diffusivity metal, such as bismuth and indium, this spontaneous nanorod growth mechanism can be used to fabricate nanostructures.
2006, Vol. 23 
