DOI
https://doi.org/10.25772/T1B3-DR91
Defense Date
2013
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science
Department
Physics and Applied Physics
First Advisor
Dexian Jr Ye
Abstract
In this study, samples of nanoscale structures of nickel (Ni) nanorods were prepared using the glancing angle deposition (GLAD) technique. Annealing was done using a split- top tube furnace at high vacuum chamber pressure. The pre-melting of the nanorods was maintained at 500 °C for 30 minutes in all the samples. Using the samples with 90 minutes of GLAD time, the annealing behavior of the nanorods was studied at 300 °C, 400 °C, 500 °C and 600 °C. The nanorods were then imaged using scanning electron microscopy. Using X-ray diffraction, the crystalline microstructures of the nanorods were studied. It was found that with increasing annealing temperatures, the intensity of peaks for both Ni (111) and Ni (200) increased, which indicates that better crystals were formed. The results indicate that re-crystallization occurs after annealing, leading to the formation of larger grain sizes compared to as-deposited grain sizes. Annealing substantially changed the structure of the nanorods, leading to different smoother, more connected crystal structures for the annealed nanorods compared to as-deposited ones.
Rights
© The Author
Is Part Of
VCU University Archives
Is Part Of
VCU Theses and Dissertations
Date of Submission
May 2013