Paper NS+NC-FrM9
Electron Beam Irradiation Induced Mass Transport in Indium Filled Indium Oxide Tubular Nanoarrow Structures

Friday, October 24, 2008, 11:00 am, Room 311

Indium filled indium oxide tubular nanoarrows have been synthesized on silicon substrates by using simple horizontal tube furnace kept at 960°C and atmospheric pressure. Indium oxide powder mixed with carbon (1:1) in the presence of reducing ambient has been used for the growth of indium oxide nanotubular structures. A constant flow of Ar gas at the rate of 200 ml/min. was maintained during the growth. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies show the presence of indium inside the indium oxide tubular base extended with octahedron tip. The octahedron tip is sharp and has the diameter as low as 10 nm. High resolution TEM studies reveal that the structures are crystalline in nature and growth direction to be <100>. The bottom-vapor-solid growth mechanism has been used to explain the role of reducing ambient in self catalytic growth of indium filled indium oxide tubular nanoarrows. The electron-beam-induced mass transport of indium filled in indium oxide nano structures has been studied using TEM with the background pressure of specimen chamber at 10^-7 mbar and room temperature. The electron beam current has been varied from 0.8 μA to 24.7 μA to study the onset of phase transformation of indium from solid to liquid in different nanotube structures having diameter ranging from 30 nm to 150 nm. The electron-beam irradiation results in the melting and transport of indium inside the tubular structures. The real time imaging in TEM measurements have been used to study the mass transport properties. The synthesis of indium filled indium oxide tubular nanoarrows and the observed indium transport may have the potential nanotechnological applications.