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Self-assembled nitride-metal nanocomposites: recent progress and future prospects
1School of Materials Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA. hwang00@purdue.edu and School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
Nanoscale
|October 22, 2020
Summary
Nitride-metal nanocomposites offer versatile applications in plasmonics and sensing. This review highlights self-assembled thin films with tunable nanostructures and optical properties for advanced material designs.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Optics
Background:
- Two-phase nanocomposites are researched for multifunctionalities and device applications.
- Coupling nitrides with metals presents an alternative to oxide-oxide nanocomposites for hybrid plasmonic metamaterials.
- These materials offer advantages like distinct atomic interfaces and durable platforms for optical applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advancements in nitride-metal nanocomposites, focusing on bottom-up self-assembled thin films.
- To discuss fabrication methods, morphologies, and growth mechanisms of these nanocomposites.
- To explore future research directions for enhanced functionalities.
Main Methods:
- Review of literature on self-assembled nitride-metal nanocomposite thin films.
- Discussion of fabrication techniques including bottom-up self-assembly.
- Analysis of thin film nucleation, growth, strain coupling, and resulting morphologies (e.g., VANs, nanoinclusions, nanoholes).
Main Results:
- Demonstration of various morphologies in nitride-metal nanocomposites, including vertically aligned nanocomposites (VANs) and self-organized nanoinclusions.
- Understanding of strain coupling prerequisites and growth mechanisms for controlled nanostructure fabrication.
- Highlighting the potential for tunable optical functionalities through precise structural control.
Conclusions:
- Nitride-metal nanocomposites are promising for chemical sensing, tunable plasmonics, and nonlinear optics.
- Control over nanostructure morphology is crucial for enhancing homogeneity and optical properties.
- Future work includes exploring magnetic coupling for magneto-optical effects and all-ceramic systems for extended functionalities.
