Sacrificial template method of fabricating a nanotube

A method for fabricating a nanotube, comprising:

• forming a nanowire;
• depositing at least one sheath of material over said nanowire;
• and
• removing said nanowire;
• wherein said remaining sheath material comprises said nanotube;
• wherein said nanowire comprises a material selected from the group of materials consisting essentially of zinc oxide (ZnO), silicon (Si), gallium nitride (GaN), germanium (Ge), silver (Ag), gold (Au), group II–VI materials, group III–V materials, elemental group IV materials, and metals;
• wherein said sheath comprises a material selected from the group of materials consisting of gallium nitride (GaN), silicon oxide (SiO2), group II–VI materials, group III–V materials, elemental group IV, metals, oxides of the preceding materials, dopants introduced in the preceding materials, and polymers;
• and
• wherein the material selected for said nanotube sheath has a sufficiently similar crystalline structure and lattice constant as the material selected for said nanowire to allow epitaxial growth of said sheath on said nanowire.

A method for fabricating a nanotube, comprising:

• forming a sacrificial nanowire template of zinc oxide (ZnO);
• depositing at least one sheath of gallium nitride (GaN) over said nanowire;
• and
• removing said nanowire;
• wherein said sheath comprises a single-crystalline gallium nitride (GaN) nanotube structure;
• wherein said gallium nitride (GaN) sheath is deposited over said nanowire by epitaxial casting.

A method for fabricating a nanotube, comprising:

• forming a sacrificial nanowire template of a first material;
• forming a sheath of modified said first material over said nanowire;
• and
• removing said nanowire;
• wherein said sheath is a nanotube structure;
• and
• wherein said nanowire and said sheath comprise a single-crystalline material;
• wherein said sheath comprises an epitaxial casting.

A method for fabricating a nanotube, comprising:

• forming a sacrificial nanowire template of a first material;
• forming a sheath of modified said first material over said nanowire;
• and
• removing said nanowire;
• wherein said sheath is a nanotube structure wherein said sheath comprises an epitaxial casting;
• wherein said first material comprises silicon (Si);
• wherein said modified first material comprises silicon oxide (SiO2);
• wherein said sheath is formed on said nanowire by a thermal oxidation process in which temperature determines the thickness of said sheath;
• wherein the temperature of said thermal oxidation is in the range of from approximately eight hundred degrees Celsius (800° C.) to approximately one thousand degrees Celsius (1000° C.);
• and
• wherein said nanowire is removed in an etching process comprising:
• covering the combination of said sheath and nanowire with an etch-resistant material;
• removing the top end of the sheathed nanowire while the sheathed walls of said nanotube are protected by said etch-resistant material;
• removing the silicon (Si) nanowire material from within said silicone oxide (SiO2) nanotube;
• and
• removing said etch-resistant material.