Conducting Performance of Individual Ag@C Coaxial Nanocables: Ideal Building Blocks for Interconnects in Nanoscale Devices

The conducting performance of a nanodevice constructed from Ag*C nanocables and fabricated by using Focused-Ion-Beam (FIB) deposition technique was investigated. The phase and purity of the as-prepared silver nanocables were examined by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and morphology and dimensions were examined by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The electrical properties were measured by the four-probe method within a Physical Property Measurement System (PPMS). It was observed that the Ag*C core sheath nanocables can act as ideal nanoscale building blocks for interconnects. The core-sheath nanostructure can also be extended to other metal nanostructures, such as copper and aluminum, which are cheaper and are broadly applied in commercial ways. The conducting performance and stability of metal nanowires can potentially be enhanced by processing the metals into core-sheath cable like nanostructures.