Abstract
A convenient method for the fabrication of metal nanowires by a combination of atomic force microscopy nanoscratching on a single-layer resist and lift-off process is presented. Various metal nanowires, including Au, Cu, Ni, Al, and Ti nanowires, with widths as small as 40 nm are successfully fabricated. The electrical resistivities of the nanowires have also been obtained and are found to be in good agreement with reported values. For Au, Ni, and Al nanowires, the electrical resistivities are roughly 5-10 times higher than bulk values. For Cu and Ti nanowires, on the other hand, the electrical resistivities are even higher due to more oxidation. In addition, other nanostructures, including well-defined nanoelectrodes with gaps as small as 30 nm and rectangular nanostructures are fabricated by additional cuttings on a metal nanowire.