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Xu L, Rymzhanov RA, Zhai P, Zhang S, Hu P, Meng X, Zeng J, Sun Y, Liu J. Direct Fabrication of Sub-10 nm Nanopores in WO 3 Nanosheets Using Single Swift Heavy Ions. NANO LETTERS 2023; 23:4502-4509. [PMID: 37171532 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c00884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Extending the fabrication methodology of solid-state nanopores in a wide range of materials is significant in the fields of single molecule detection, nanofluidic devices, and nanofiltration membranes. Here, we demonstrate a new method to directly fabricate size- and density-controllable sub-10 nm nanopores in WO3 nanosheets using single swift heavy ions (SHIs) without any chemical etching process. By selecting ions of different electronic energy losses (Se), nanopores with sizes from 1.8 to 7.4 nm can be created in WO3 nanosheets. The creation efficiency of nanopores achieves ∼100% for Se > 20 keV/nm, and there exists a critical thickness below which nanopores can be created. Combined with molecular dynamics simulations, we propose that the viscosity and surface tension of the transient molten phase caused by SHIs are the key factors for the formation of nanopores. This method paves a way to fabricate solid-state nanopores in materials with a low viscosity and surface tension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijun Xu
- Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Ruslan A Rymzhanov
- Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Joliot-Curie 6, Dubna 141980, Russia
- The Institute of Nuclear Physics, Ibragimov St. 1, Almaty 050032, Kazakhstan
| | - Pengfei Zhai
- Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
- School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Shengxia Zhang
- Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
- School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Peipei Hu
- Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Xuan Meng
- Electron Microscopy Centre of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Jian Zeng
- Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
- School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Youmei Sun
- Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
- School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jie Liu
- Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
- School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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