Abstract
Low-dimensional structures, such as microclusters, quantum dots and one- or two-dimensional (1D or 2D) quantum wires, are of scientific and technological interest due to their unusual physical properties, which are quite different from those in the bulk1,2,3,4. Here we present a successful method for fabricating conducting nanowire bundles inside an insulating ceramic single crystal by using unidirectional dislocations. A high density of dislocations (109 cm−2) was introduced by activating a primary slip system in sapphire (α-Al2O3 single crystal) using a two-stage deformation technique. Plate specimens cut out from the deformed sapphire were then annealed to straighten the dislocations. Finally, the plates on which metallic Ti was evaporated were heat-treated to diffuse Ti atoms inside sapphire. As a result of this process, Ti atoms segregated along the unidirectional dislocations within about 5 nm diameter, forming unidirectional Ti-enriched nanowires, which exhibit excellent electrical conductivity. This simple technique could potentially to be applied to any crystal, and may give special properties to commonly used materials.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$259.00 per year
only $21.58 per issue
Rent or buy this article
Prices vary by article type
from$1.95
to$39.95
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Eigler, D.M. & Schweizer, E.K. Positioning single atoms with a scanning tunnelling microscope. Nature 344, 524–526 ( 1990).
Shen, J. et al. Magnetism in one dimension: Fe on Cu (111). Phys. Rev. B 56, 2340–2343 ( 1997).
Chou, S.Y., Krauss, P.R. & Penstrom, P.J. Imprint lithography with 25-nanometer resolution. Science 272, 85–87 ( 1996).
Asahi, H. et al. InGaAsP / InP quantum wires fabricated by focused Ga ion beam implantation. Surf. Sci. 267, 232–235 ( 1992).
Cottrell, A.H. & Jaswon, M.A. Distribution of solute atoms round a slow dislocation. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A 199, 104–114 ( 1949).
Hirth, J.P. & Lothe, J. Theory of Dislocations 2nd edn (Wiley, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1982).
Blavette, D., Cadel, E., Fraczkiewicz, A. & Menand, A. Three-dimensional atomic-scale imaging of impurity segregation to line defect. Science 286, 2317–2319 ( 1999).
Balluffi, R.W. & Granato, A.V. in Dislocations in Solids Vol. 8 (ed. Nabarrro, F.R.N.) Ch. 13 (North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1989).
Shockley, W. Dislocations and edge states in the diamond crystal structure. Phys. Rev. 91, 228 ( 1953).
Fukuyama, H. Excitonic superconductivity along dislocations. J. Phys. Soc. Jpn 51, 1709–1710 ( 1982).
Osip'yan Yu, A., Tal'yanskii, V.I. & Shevchenko, S.A. Dislocation microwave conductivity of germanium. Sov. Phys. JETP 45, 810–813 ( 1977).
Grazhulis, V.A., Kveder, V.V., Mukhina, V.Yu. & Osip'yan, Yu.A. Investigation of high-frequency conductivity of dislocations in Silicon. JETP Lett. 24, 142–145 ( 1977).
Elbaum, C. Pseudo-one-dimensional conductor-plastically deformed CdS. Phys. Rev. Lett. 32, 376–379 ( 1974).
Hutson, A.R. Role of dislocations in the electrical conductivity of CdS. Phys. Rev. Lett. 46, 1159–1162 ( 1981).
Tang, X., Lagerlöf, K.P.D. & Heuer, A.H. Determination of pipe diffusion coefficients in undoped and magnesia-doped sapphire (α-Al2O3): A study based on annihilation of dislocation dipoles. J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 86, 560–565 ( 2003).
Shannon, R.D. Revised effective ionic radii and structure of interatomic distances in halides and chalcogenides. Acta Crystallogr. A 32, 751–767 ( 1976).
Lusvardi, V.S. et al. An NEXAFS investigation of the reduction and reoxidation of TiO2(001). Surf. Sci. 397, 237–250 ( 1998).
Li, X.L. et al. Reactions and phase relations in the Ti-Al-O System. Acta Metall. Mater. 40, 3149–3157 ( 1992).
Winkler, E.R., Sarver, J.F. & Cutler, I.B. Solid solution of titanium dioxide in aluminum oxide. J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 49, 634–637 ( 1966).
Blumenthal, R.N., Coburn, J., Baukus, J. & Hirthe, W.M. Electrical conductivity of nonstoichiometric rutile single crystals from 1000° to 1500 °C. J. Phys. Chem. Solids. 27, 643–654 ( 1966).
Lagerlöf, K.P.D. et al. Slip and twinning in sapphire (α-Al2O3). J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 77, 385–397 ( 1994).
Nakamura, A, Yamamoto, T. & Ikuhara, Y. Direct observation of basal dislocation in sapphire by HRTEM. Acta Mater. 50, 101–108 ( 2002).
Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge K. P. D. Lagerlöf for useful discussions. This work was supported by PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Corporation, and the Active Nano-characterization and Technology project, MEXT, Japan.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Competing interests
The authors declare no competing financial interests.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Nakamura, A., Matsunaga, K., Tohma, J. et al. Conducting nanowires in insulating ceramics. Nature Mater 2, 453–456 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat920
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat920
This article is cited by
-
Topotactically transformable antiphase boundaries with enhanced ionic conductivity
Nature Communications (2023)
-
Dislocation-based high-temperature plasticity of polycrystalline perovskite SrTiO3
Journal of Materials Science (2023)
-
Ultra-dense dislocations stabilized in high entropy oxide ceramics
Nature Communications (2022)
-
Dislocation-based crack initiation and propagation in single-crystal SrTiO3
Journal of Materials Science (2021)
-
Parallel Nanoimprint Forming of One-Dimensional Chiral Semiconductor for Strain-Engineered Optical Properties
Nano-Micro Letters (2020)