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We report on the fabrication of metal nanowires on an insulating substrate using carbon nanotubes as a new kind of mask material. By irradiating Ar+ ions of 300 eV energy on a nanotube-coated Au/Ti thin layer on a SiO2 substrate, Au/Ti nanowires were successfully formed just underneath the nanotube, indicating that the carbon nanotubes had acted as a good mask against the argon ion bombardment. The Au/Ti wire of a few nanometers in width was frequently observed among the wires of various widths. After the formation of the Au/Ti nanowires, the carbon nanotube on the metal nanowire could be removed by atomic force microscope.

Nanostructures composed of Ag clusters on an Sb-terminated Si surface were designed in a highly controlled manner and the electric conduction through Ag nanoclusters to the silicon substrate was investigated by using a scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy. It was found that the lateral conduction between neighboring Ag clusters significantly contributed to the tunneling current–voltage characteristics, and the metallic single-electron tunneling structures employing the lateral conduction channels at room temperature can be fabricated via a field-induced manipulation of Ag clusters.

Radial density profiles of molybdenum vapour in the centre of the electrode gap of a pseudospark switch have been obtained using one-dimensional laser-induced fluorescence imaging. Owing to the random nature of generation and motion of electron emission sites, which are the predominant metal vapour sources, the vapour density distribution fluctuates strongly from one discharge lo another. However, from the positions of the maxima of the distribution it can be inferred that emission sites occur primarily on the edges of the cathode hole.Although the absolute number density of MO vapour emanating from cathodes containing tantalum carbide increases with the tantalum carbide concentration, no marked differences in shape and temporal development of the density profiles can be identified. NationalBureau ofStandards 476) vol 3 (Washington, DC: NBS) [16] Moore C E 1958 Atomic Energy Levels (Circular of the 1171 Whaling W,'Hannaford P, Lowe R M, Biemont E and Grevesse N 1984 J. Quant. Specrrasc. Radiar. Transfer 32 69-SO 1181 Gellen B. Schade E and Dullni E 1987 IEEE Trans. . " Plasma Sci. 15 545-5 I 1191 Mesvats G A 1971 Proc. 10th Int. Conf on Phenomena in . . Cdnized Gases vol2, invited papers ?Oxford: Donald Parsons) pp 333-57 Clarendon) [ZO] Crank J 1967 The Mathematics of Difusion (Oxford

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