| New synthetic methods for the preparation of boron-based one-dimensional nanostructures are developed that employ catalytic chemical vapor deposition. The structures, morphologies, and elemental compositions of the nanostructures are characterized using electron microscopy and spectroscopy. Electrical-transport measurements performed on individual boron nanowires assess their potential as nanoscale interconnects.; Multi-walled boron nitride nanotubes are generated from a molten salt mixture containing (NH4)2SO4, NaBH4, and Co3O4 at 300--400°C. Volatile BN-containing species generated in the molten salt are transported via a carrier gas to a nickel boride catalyst at 1100°C, whereupon precursor decomposition upon the catalyst material results in the formation of crystalline boron nitride nanotubes. The BN nanotubes have concentric-tube structures, are free of internal closures, have crystalline walls, and exhibit lengths of up to ca. 5 mum. The nanotubes often possess bulbous, flag-like, or club-like tip closures. A root-growth mechanism is proposed for the catalyzed process. This work provides the first CVD synthesis of BN nanotubes not requiring the use of carbon nanotube templates.; A theoretical prediction for the existence of conductive boron nanotubes inspired our next project in the search for ideal nanostructured electrical interconnects for nanoelectronics. Promising candidates should be highly refractory, covalently bonded, and conductive irrespective of their crystallographic orientation. We report the growth of crystalline boron nanowires from a nickel boride catalyst using diborane at temperatures of 1100°C. However, our one-dimensional boron nanostructures are dense nanowhiskers rather than hollow nanotubes. Electrical-conductivity measurements indicate the boron nanowires to be semiconductors, with properties consistent with bulk elemental boron. To our knowledge, these are the first measurements reported on crystalline boron nanowires.; To probe the electrical-transport properties of boron nanowires, a separation strategy was developed to remove and untangle individual nanowires for subsequent nanowire-device fabrication. Experiments identified nickel as having a sufficiently high work function to make Ohmic contacts to boron nanowires, allowing subsequent conductivity measurements, observation of a gate effect, and calculations of the transconductance and carrier mobilities. Synthetic attempts to boost conductivities into the conducting regime via doping are also described. |
