A step toward controlled Al/Ge quantum disks?

Researchers at Irig used a transmission electron microscope to observe the behavior of aluminum (Al) heated to temperatures in excess of 250 °C when it comes into contact with a germanium (Ge) nanowire. So, what did they see? Well, the Al propagates in the nanowire along a well-defined front; the Ge is pushed back and escapes through the surface.

They also noted that propagation speed is constant insofar as the temperature applied is also constant and the diameter of the nanowire is regular. A drop of just a few degrees halts the process with no inertia. In this way, it is possible to obtain a nanodisk (less than 10 nm) of Ge with Al on each side. The resulting object makes an excellent quantum disk that combines a semiconductor and two very-low-resistivity metal contacts.

Contact: eric.robin@cea.fr

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