Thermally induced shape modification of free-standing nanostructures for advanced functionalities

Shape manipulation of nanowires is highly desirable in the construction of nanostructures, in producing free-standing interconnect bridges and as a building block of more complex functional structures. By introducing asymmetry in growth parameters, which may result in compositional or microstructural non-uniformity in the nanowires, thermal annealing can be used to induce shape modification of free-standing nanowires. We demonstrate that such manipulation is readily achieved using vertically grown Pt-Ga-C composite nanowires fabricated by focused-ion-beam induced chemical vapor deposition. Even and controllable bending of the nanowires has been observed after a rapid thermal annealing in a N2 atmosphere. The mechanisms of the shape modification have been examined. This approach has been used to form electrical contacts to freestanding nano-objects as well as nano-'cages' for the purpose of securing ZnO tubs. These results suggest that thermally induced bending of nanowires may have potential applications in constructing three-dimensional nanodevices or complex structures for the immobilization of particles and large molecules.