A Simple Method for the Production of AAO Templates for DC Electrodeposition of Nanostructures

Abstract

Low-cost template based nano-fabrication approaches are extensively studied for obtaining functional arrays of nanostructures. Among them anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates obtained via two-step anodization stands still today as an elegant and straightforward approach for electrochemistry based nanofabrication. However using AAO for direct electrochemical growth of metallic compounds is still a challenging task due to the presence of an insulating barrier oxide layer situated at the pore bottoms. Several intriguing strategies have been developed for the removal of the barrier layer 1–11 but none of them allows the use of AAO readily as produced without undertaking meticulous procedures or requiring expensive laboratory equipment. In this work we present an easy route to overcome this handicap of otherwise very versatile AAO templates by drawing renewed attention to a process long known by the aluminum industry as zincating. 12 Zincated AAO films are robust and easy to manipulate since they are still bound to the base aluminum metal. Furthermore they are suitable for DC electrodeposition of metallic nanostructures without any additional treatment.