Abstract
Self-assembled nanometer-scale wires (SANWs) composed of octadecylthiol [ODT, CH 3 (CH 2 ) 17 SH] have been selectively formed on the GaAs surface of an AlGaAs/GaAs heterostructure. The sample grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) was cleaved to expose the AlGaAs/GaAs heterostructure in a solution containing the ODT molecules. Both surface properties and morphology of these wires have been investigated simultaneously by scanning probe microscopy. SANWs as narrow as 10 nm in width and approx.1.0 nm in height were observed. The inability to form an ODT monolayer on the AlGaAs surface was attributed to the formation of an oxide layer.