Indium nanowires at the silicon surface

Conductive indium nanowires up to 50 nm in width and up to 10 $\mu$m in length are fabricated on the surface of silicon by local resputtering from the probe of an atomic-force microscope. The transfer of indium from the probe of the atomic-force microscope onto the silicon surface is initiated by applying a potential between the probe and the surface as they approach each other to spacings, at which the mutual repulsive force is $\sim$10$^{-7}$ N. The conductivity of the nanowires ranges from 7 $\times$ 10$^{-3}$ to 4 $\times$ 10$^{-2}$ $\Omega$ cm, which is several orders of magnitude lower than that in the case of the alternative technique of heat transfer.