Synthesis of confined electrically conducting carbon nanowires by heavy ion irradiation of fullerene thin film

Conducting nanowires parallel to each other, embedded in fullerene matrix are synthesized by high energy heavy ion irradiation of thin fullerene film at low fluence (up to 5x10(11) ions/cm(2)). The conductivity of the conducting zone is about seven orders of magnitude higher than that of the fullerene matrix. The conducting nanowires are evidenced by conducting atomic force microscopy. The typical diameter of the conducting tracks is observed to be about 40-100 nm. The creation of conducting wires is explained by transformation of fullerene to conducting form of carbon in the ion track, surrounded by the polymerized zone. The polymerization of fullerene is evidenced by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics.