Nanowire coating by plasma processing

We present a plasma-based method for the deposition of hydrogenated amorphous carbon films on metallic nanowires. Gold nanowires in mixture with silica nanospheres are introduced in a capacitively coupled radio-frequency Ar plasma where they become trapped to form a dusty plasma. Isopropanol is introduced in the plasma where it reacts to produce an amorphous film of hydrogenated carbon that deposits on the suspended nanowires and nanoparticles. The films deposited in this manner range up to about 50 nm, depending on the deposition time. Many nanowires have coatings that exhibit a high degree of fidelity, even around complex surface features such as broken and jagged edges. Film deposition on nanowires is more rapid than deposition on particles, a result that is attributed to their different charging characteristics. Observed nonuniformities in film thickness are discussed in terms of spatial distribution of the deposition rate.