Figure 3 shows a typical cross-sectional image of silicon with the Selleckchem Napabucasin anodic alumina mask after the immersion in 5 mol dm-3 HF solution containing a relatively high AgNO3 concentration of 2 × 10-2 mol dm-3 for 5 s. From this SEM image, it was confirmed that the Ag nanowires were grown inside the nanopores of anodic alumina mask in a direction perpendicular to the surface of silicon substrate. The periodicity of Ag nanowires, which was determined by the pore interval of the anodic alumina mask formed at 40 V, was approximately 100 nm. Note that each Ag nanowire has almost the same diameter, determined by the pore size of the alumina mask, while the length of Ag nanowires was mainly determined by the immersion time. Figure

3 Ag nanowire arrays formed on Si substrate. SEM image of Ag nanowire arrays formed on Si substrate through anodic porous alumina mask. Metal deposition was conducted in a solution of 2 × 10-2 mol dm-3 AgNO3 and 5 mol dm-3 HF for 5 s. By decreasing the concentration of AgNO3, the size of the deposited Ag dots could be optimized. After the immersion in 5 mol dm-3 HF solution containing 2 × 10-3 mol dm-3 AgNO3 for 15 s, the surface of silicon was observed using SEM. In this case, the anodic

alumina film used as a mask was dissolved during the electroless deposition of Ag. Because the prolongation of deposition time caused the interlocking of the deposited Ag owing to the excessive deposition of Ag nanoparticles, the period of electroless metal deposition was standardized to 15 s. As shown in Figure 4a, well-ordered Ag nanodot arrays on the silicon substrate corresponding to the configuration Angiogenesis inhibitor of a self-organized pore arrays in the anodic alumina mask were observed. To evaluate the size of the deposited Ag dots, AFM observation was also carried out. As indicated in Figure 4b, the diameter and height

of Ag dots were approximately 40 nm and approximately 20 nm, respectively. Although the regularity of the configuration of Ag nanodot arrays was not always sufficient, the regularity of these patterns is thought to be affected by the morphology and the thickness of the aluminum PAK6 film deposited by sputtering as shown in Figure 2a. In general, pore arrangement of porous alumina is known as an imperfect structure. Especially, its structure shows only short-range ordering at the initial stage of anodization. Many studies demonstrate the fact that it is impossible to obtain almost perfect hexagonal pore arrangement in anodic alumina film when thin aluminum film sputtered on a solid substrate is applied as a specimen [17, 20–22, 24–26]. To improve the regularity of pore arrangement of porous alumina, two-step anodization [27] or nanoindentation process [28] are found to be a useful technique. Figure 4 Ag nanodot arrays formed on Si substrate. (a) SEM image of Ag nanodot arrays formed on Si substrate through anodic porous alumina mask. (b) AFM tapping mode image.