Petal-Like Morphology on the Surface of Porous Anodic Alumina

The formation process of a petal-like morphology on the surface of porous anodic alumina (PAA) is discussed in detail. During the anodizing process, the electronic current is produced within the growing oxide, which results in the oxygen evolution at the pore bottom. The pressure of the oxygen bubbles increases along with the anodizing process, and their high pressure acts as a driving-force of the micro-gas-flow, resulting in the micro-liquid-flow in the pores of PAA. The micro-liquid-flow can flow into each other between a center pore and the nearest neighboring pores. The nanogroove between two pores can be formed due to the dissolving effect during the process of micro-liquid-flow between the two pores. This leads to the formation of the petal-like morphology on the PAA surface. As the micro-liquid-flow leaves off the pore bottom, there a local vacuum is formed. This local vacuum behaves as a driving-force of the micro-liquid-flow, making the electrolyte renovated in the nanopores. The renovated electrolyte can provide enough anions or impurity centers, which are the cause of the generation of the electronic current. The self-organizing for the petal-like morphology on PAA surface is mainly dependent upon the high pressure of the oxygen bubbles and the local vacuum produced at the pore bottom. The present results may help us to understand the nature of the self-organization in the porous anodic oxides.

Anodization Behavior of Al Film on Si Substrate With Different Interlayers for Preparing Si-Based Nanoporous Alumina Template

The fabrication and applications of porous anodic alumina (PAA) have been studied for decades. Recently, preparation of PAA template directly formed on Si has been developed to enhance the performance of the fabricated nanostructures. However, less attention is paid to the anodization mechanism of the Al film on the Si substrate. In the current study, the PAA template was fabricated on Si of which an interlayer was sandwiched between the Al film and the Si substrate. The anodization behavior of the Al film, especially at the alumina–substrate interface, was investigated through the observation of the variation of oxidation current and the structural change of alumina. Different degree of dissolution at the pore base of alumina was revealed when a different interlayer was introduced, leading to the formation of the arched pore bottom. At the same time, difference in the variation of current was also observed as the pore base reached the alumina–Si interface. These features were different from those observed in conventional anodization of Al foils. The findings in this study are of scientific and technological importance for the template-mediated growth of nanostructures, especially for those to be integrated into Si devices.