Fabrication and application of anodic aluminum oxide templates

Abstract

The primary challenge in nano-technology is the creation of nanometer-scale objects with as narrow a size distribution as possible for a desired size and shape, and with as perfect a crystal structure as possible. In particular, the creation of a nano-structure with a fine pattern and nanowires with a high degree of alignment has become particularly important due to the increasing desire of practical applications of nano-technology. In this research, an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template-based technique is developed to achieve this goal. The AAO template has a fine hexagonal structure and its diameter can be readily controlled. In this report, the controllable fabrication of AAO template is studied, and its applications in fine catalyst particles growth for different requirements are explored. These catalysts are further used for ZnS nanowires synthesis. The nanowires are well-aligned and have a uniform size. They also have a perfect wurtzite single-crystal structure.