Ozgit-Akgun C., Kayaci F., Donmez I., Uyar T., Biyikli N.
Bilkent University, TR
Keywords: aluminum nitride, atomic layer deposition, hollow nanofiber
We report on the synthesis of AlN hollow nanofibers by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) using electrospun polymeric nanofibers as templates. Three templates with different average fiber diameters were obtained by electrospinning of polymeric solutions by using different solvents and/or concentrations. Morphology, uniformity and average diameter of the nanofibers were studied by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). 400 and 800 cycles of AlN were deposited on polymeric nanofiber templates at 200°C via PEALD using trimethylaluminum and ammonia (NH3) as the aluminum and nitrogen precursors, respectively. Polymeric component of AlN-coated nanofibers were removed by calcinating the samples at 500°C for 2h. Chemical composition and bonding states of the samples at every step of the abovementioned process were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Morphologies of AlN-coated nanofibers, as well as the resulting AlN hollow nanofibers were studied by using SEM. It has been shown that there is a critical wall thickness value depending on the template’s average fiber diameter for conformal AlN films to preserve their shapes after the template has been removed by calcination. Samples were further characterized by transmission electron microscopy, selected area electron diffraction, and X-ray diffraction, which indicated polycrystalline AlN hollow nanofibers with uniform wall thicknesses.
Journal: TechConnect Briefs
Volume: 1, Nanotechnology 2012: Advanced Materials, CNTs, Particles, Films and Composites (Volume 1)
Published: June 18, 2012
Pages: 675 - 678
Industry sector: Advanced Materials & Manufacturing
Topics: Advanced Materials for Engineering Applications, Coatings, Surfaces & Membranes
ISBN: 978-1-4665-6274-5