Template-assisted synthesis of nanowires is a simple electrochemical technique commonly used in the fabrication of semiconducting nanowires. It is an easy and cost-effective approach compared to conventional lithography, which requires expensive equipment. The focus of this chapter is on the various mechanisms involving mass transport of ions during successive stages of the template-assisted electrochemical growth of indium antimonide (InSb) nanowires. The nanowires were grown in two different templates such as commercially available anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates and polycarbonate membranes. The chapter also presents the results of characterizing the InSb nanowires connected in a field effect transistor (FET) configuration. The Sb-rich InSb nanowires that were fabricated by DC electrodeposition in nanoporous AAO exhibited hole-dominated transport (p-type conduction). Temperature-dependent transport measurement shows the semiconducting nature of these nanowires.
Part of the book: Semiconductors