Formation of arrays of straight copper wires on solid substrate by electrodeposition

Straight copper wire arrays are electrochemically deposited on a silicon substrate without utilizing additives or templates. To suppress the influence of the factors which arouse the ramification of the copper electrodeposit, an ultrathin electrochemical deposition system and an initially homogeneous electric field are used. The width of the copper wires may vary from about 200 nm to about 1.5 mum depending on the control parameters. The microstructure of the copper wires and their electric resistance after vacuum-annealing at 200 degreesC are studied. We suggest that this self-organized copper electrodeposition is helpful in gaining an understanding of the formation of dense-branching morphology. It also implies the potential application in microelectronics.