This invention fabricates copper nanowires using thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) at temperatures of about 200 to 400 C. The method can produce vertically aligned copper nanowires on various metallic, oxide, and plastic substrates without the need for pores, templates, catalysts, or lithography of the substrate surface. The CVD process does not use hydrogen and is compatible with standard silicon processing technologies.

Copper wires with diameters of 70 to100 nanometers and lengths of several microns can be produced and characterized. Electron emission properties have been measured and are superior to most other materials including carbon nanotubes. The processing conditions are adjusted so as to promote the growth of wires instead of films.

Applications:

• Flat panel display devices
• Computing
• Medical imaging
• Entertainment
• Home appliances
• Wireless communication
• Remote sensors

Benefits:

• Simplicity and scalability - A straightforward CVD process that uses standard equipment is utilized. This technique does not require complex substrate preparation.
• Compatibility - The process is compatible with most standard semiconductor processing protocols. The wires can be grown on a wide variety of materials including metals, silicon, and plastics.