| AVS 59th Annual International Symposium and Exhibition | |
| Thin Film | Wednesday Sessions |
| Session TF+SE+NS-WeM |
| Session: | Glancing Angle Deposition (GLAD) |
| Presenter: | A.L. Beaudry, University of Alberta, Canada |
| Authors: | A.L. Beaudry, University of Alberta, Canada R.T. Tucker, University of Alberta, Canada J.M. LaForge, University of Alberta, Canada M.T. Taschuk, University of Alberta, Canada M.J. Brett, University of Alberta, Canada and The National Institute for Nanotechnology |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
The vapour liquid solid (VLS) nanowire growth technique has been recently modified with spatially modulated vapour flux through glancing angle deposition (GLAD).1,2 Using this new technique, named VLS-GLAD, our group has demonstrated improved morphological control over indium tin oxide (ITO) nanowhiskers.1 Single crystal ITO nanowhiskers are grown via a self-catalyzed VLS growth mechanism, resulting in branched structures.3 VLS-GLAD exhibits improved control over the diameter, spacing, branching density and branching orientation of ITO nanowhiskers. As the angle of deposition is increased to glancing angles, there is a transition from a dense interconnected network to a porous film of individual ITO nanowhisker structures. In addition, branching was found to increase significantly with increasing deposition angle. This result is attributed to an increase in the proportion of vapour flux incident on the sides of the structures, resulting in an increase in self-catalytic VLS growth of branches. This effect has been used to engineer branch morphology and orientation. Vapour flux rate modulation at glancing angles results in further in-situ control over ITO nanowhisker features. HRTEM imaging revealed a continuation of crystal planes from the trunk into the branch. XRD results indicated single crystal cubic bixbyite structures with a <400> growth direction. Haacke’s figure of merit was used to assess the suitability of ITO nanowhisker films as transparent electrodes.4
1 Beaudry, A.L. et al. Nanotechnology 23, 105608 (2012).
2 Alagoz, A.S. and Karabacak, T. MRS Proceedings 1350, (2011).
3 Castañeda, S.I. et al. Journal of Applied Physics 83, 1995 (1998).
4 Haacke, G. Journal of Applied Physics 47, 4086 (1976).