AVS 56th International Symposium & Exhibition
    Plasma Science and Technology Tuesday Sessions
       Session PS-TuP

Paper PS-TuP13
Synthesis of Niobium Oxide Nanowires Using an Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet

Tuesday, November 10, 2009, 6:00 pm, Room Hall 3

Session: Plasma Science and Technology Poster Session
Presenter: Y. Lin, National Taiwan University, Taiwan
Authors: Y. Lin, National Taiwan University, Taiwan
C.C. Hsu, National Taiwan University, Taiwan
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The fabrication of niobium oxide nanowires using an atmospheric pressure plasma was performed. An arc plasma jet sustained by a pulsed power supply with the repetitive power frequency of 25 kHz was used. The O2 plasma jet was used to treat the 0.025 mm-thick unannealed niobium foils to fabricate niobium oxide nanowires. It was found in this work that the distance between the foil and the jet appears to be the most critical operating parameter for nanowire fabrication. Niobium oxide nanowires with different morphologies were fabricated with oxygen plasma jets at an applied voltage of 300 V and a flow rate of 45 slm, with the foil located at 0.3 ~ 0.7 cm downstream of the plasma jet. Depending upon the distance between the foil and the jet, as well as the operating conditions, the nanowire diameter ranges from 100 to 500 nm, with the length being up to 6 μm. Current work shows that the nanowire diameter increases over time under plasma treatment. Energy-dispersive spectroscopy reveals that the stoichiometry of the fabricated nanowires have the composition ranges from NbO to NbO3, depending upon the conditions. In this presentation, the correlation between the plasma characteristics and the nanowire structure and its composition will be discussed.