Method for producing nanometer-size wires and nanometer-size wire

Abstract

The present invention provides a nanowire production method that is simpler than conventional nanowire production methods, and that makes it easier to control the size and shape of the nanowires by using a technique completely different from the conventional ones. A powder particle containing a metal element is divided into nanometer-size wires containing the metal element by irradiating a suspension of the powder particles with a femtosecond laser. The present invention also makes it possible to divide the nanometer-size wires thus formed into nanometer-size particles containing the metal element by irradiating further the nanometer-size wires with the femtosecond laser.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.