Ni 2 Si nanowires of extraordinarily low resistivity

Abstract
Ultralong, polycrystalline Ni2Si nanowires are fabricated by combining sidewall transfer lithography with self-aligned silicidation. Upon formation at 500°C, the nanowires that are 400μm long with a rectangular cross section of 37.5 by 25.3nm are characterized by a resistivity of 25±1μΩcm which is similar to the value for Ni2Si thin films. Further annealing at 800°C results in an extraordinarily low wire resistivity of 10μΩcm. Such a drastic decrease in resistivity is attributed to a significant grain growth and a low density of defects in the nanowires.