Abstract
Nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) with uniform and controllable pore diameters and periods over a wide range has been explored for various applications due to relatively easy fabrication processes. Moreover, one of the interesting possibilities afforded by the anodization process is that the anodization can take place on aluminum films with arbitrary shape, such as a section of cylinder or sphere, which has not yet been well studied or applied in nanofabrication. In this paper, we report that highly ordered conical nanohole arrays prepared by the anodization of cylindrical and spherical Al films have been fabricated. As can be seen by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), straight nanohole arrays have been grown along the radical directions of the cylindrical or spherical alumina membrane without bending or branching at all, the diameter of the conical nanoholes and the diameter change along individual channels can be tuned by changing the curvature of the membrane. These new types of templates may open new opportunities in optical, electronic and electrochemical applications.
Highlights
Anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) has generated considerable interest as a template for nanofabrication [1]-[3]
AAO film with micro zone of curved surface which were made by impurity induced or by methods of photolithography, focused ion beam (FIB) lithography has been studied recently [27]-[29], Due to limitation of the methods they used, the area of the curved surface of AAO were only occurred in a small area while the most area of the surface including other side were still flat, and the nanoholes in the curved area were bending and branching
We report a simple method for fabricating cylindrical or spherical AAO membranes with highly ordered conical nanohole arrays, which was not possible previously
Summary
Anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) has generated considerable interest as a template for nanofabrication [1]-[3]. (2015) Cylindrical and Spherical Membranes of Anodic Aluminum Oxide with Highly Ordered Conical Nanohole Arrays. Flat AAO films have been extensively used as templates for the fabrication of nanowires or nanocables [6]-[11] and nanotubes [12]-[19], as well as masks for growth of other nanostructures such as anti-dots, nano-dots or nanopillars [20]-[23]. We report a simple method for fabricating cylindrical or spherical AAO membranes with highly ordered conical nanohole arrays, which was not possible previously. The diameter of the conical nanoholes and the diameter change along the individual nanohole can be tuned by changing the curvature of the membrane, either in one or two dimensions
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