Metallic nanospheres embedded in nanowires initiated on nanostructures and methods for synthesis thereof

A method for forming a nanostructure, the method comprising:

• depositing metal onto a substrate having nanofeatures;
• heating the metal and nanofeatures for inducing growth of nanowires, the nanowires extending from the nanofeatures, the nanowires having metallic spheres formed therein, the spheres being characterized as having at least one of about a uniform diameter and about a uniform spacing, there between, wherein the metallic spheres are completely encapsulated in the nanowires.

A method for reading and writing data, the method comprising:

• during a write operation, in a nanostructure comprising a substrate having an area with a nanofeature and a nanowire extending from the nanofeature, the nanowire having metallic spheres formed therein, the spheres being characterized as having at least one of about a uniform diameter and about a uniform spacing there between, wherein the metallic spheres are completely encapsulated in the nanowire the nanowire being electrically insulating, applying a charge to selected spheres;
• and
• during a read operation, detecting presence or absence of a charge on the metallic spheres, the presence of a charge being associated with one binary value, the absence of a charge being associated with another binary value.

A method for preparing nanoparticles, the method comprising:

• etching a nanowire having been formed on a substrate having an area with a nanofeature and the nanowire extending from the nanofeature, the nanowire having metallic spheres formed therein, the spheres being characterized as having at least one of about a uniform diameter and about a uniform spacing there between, wherein the metallic spheres are completely encapsulated in the nanowire, the etching at least partially reducing a thickness of the nanowire, thereby forming nanoparticles or nanoparticle precursors.

A nanostructure, comprising:

• a nanowire having metallic spheres formed therein, the spheres being characterized as having at least one of about a uniform diameter and about a uniform spacing there between, the nanowire having a solid cross section, wherein the metallic spheres are completely encapsulated in the nanowire.