Nanofiber and method of manufacturing nanofiber

Abstract

A method of manufacturing nanofibers which use self-organization which has a process of placing silicon microcrystal grains comprising the same element as the substrate on the surface of a substrate, a process of heating the previously noted substrate in a vacuum until the surface of the substrate reaches a melting temperature whereby, the surface of the previously noted substrate is a crystal face and the method of manufacturing nanofibers causes numerous nanowires to grow due to elements supplied from the substrate in the previously noted heating process by causing surface segregation to occur in the crystal faces which placed microcrystal grains causing nanofiber having a stem shaped structure

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of manufacturing nanofibers on a substrate comprising the steps of: 
 a) placing silicon microcrystal grains of the same element as the substrate on a surface of the substrate;    b) heating said substrate in a vacuum until the surface of the substrate reaches a melting temperature, such that the surface of said substrate is a crystal face;    such that nanowires are caused to grow due to elements supplied from the substrate in the heating process by causing surface segregation to occur in the crystal face.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step, before step (b), depositing onto the surface of the substrate by vapor deposition in a vacuum, a metal comprising an element different from the silicon microcrystal grains, at least where said silicon microcrystal grains are not placed.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the metal which is vapor deposited on the substrate is gold.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , in which the metal is vapor deposited in a monolayer.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps, after step (b), of 
 dissipating heat to lowers a substrate temperature after said heating step (b); and    heating again, after the dissipating step.    
     
     
         6 . A nanofiber comprised of numerous nanowires, comprising silicon which is oriented and is bundled in a same direction as said nanowires, provided with a space between nanowires, such that the nanofiber has a stem shaped cross-sectional configuration.  
     
     
         7 . The nanofiber of  claim 6 , having a joint portion shaped like a constriction where a diameter is smaller.  
     
     
         8 . A method of manufacturing nanofibers on a substrate, comprising the steps of: 
 a) vapor depositing a monolayer of gold on a surface of the substrate;    b) heating said substrate in a vacuum until the surface of the substrate reaches a melting temperature, causing said gold to vaporize;    such that nanowires grow due to elements supplied from the substrate in said heating step, causing a nanofiber having a stem shaped structure to form.