A New Fabrication Method of Nanostructural Materials by Using Atomic Layer Deposition and Self-Assembled Monolayers

Abstract

We report a new fabrication method of nanostructural materials by using selective atomic layer deposition (ALD) of thin films on patterned self-assmebled monolayers (SAMs) and nanoporous templates. The patterned monolayers define and direct the selective deposition of thin films. This technique has been used successfully to deposit nanostructural materials on technologically important substrates including silicon and gold. Oxide nanotubes with diameter of 30 ~ 200 nm were successfully fabricated by ALD at 140 °C and subsequent chemical etching of polycarbonate (PC) templates. It allows one-step processing for the fabrication of the freestanding oxide nanotubes. Sub-Angstrom wall thickness controls in oxide nanotube’ structures can be achieved by this method. The nanostructural materials have been investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), water contact angles analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV UV spectrometer.