Hierarchical magnetic assembly of nanowires

Magnetic alignment is reported as a facile technique for assembling nanowires into hierarchical structures. Cross junction and T junction nanowire networks are demonstrated using a sequential alignment technique on unpatterned substrates and predefined lithographically patterned ferromagnetic electrodes. The formation of T junctions prevails as nanowires from the first alignment behave as ferromagnetic electrodes under the external magnetic field of the second alignment. The presence of prefabricated ferromagnetic electrodes dominates dipole interactions of localized nanowires for preferential alignment. Application of a magnetic field from a cylindrical coaxial magnet has also been utilized to form radially aligned nanowires. The magnetic field of the coaxial cylindrical magnet produced a dense, concentric nanowire configuration at the centre of the magnetic field as a consequence of the radial field gradient, and sparse nanowire arrangements in the peripheral field, which were utilized as interconnects with a concentric electrode design. (Some figures in this article are in colour only in the electronic version)