Fabrication of ordered Ni nanocones using a porous anodic alumina template

Hexagonally ordered Ni nanocones have been produced using an electroless Ni deposition technique on a porous anodic alumina (PAA) template, where the pores are of a cone shape. The conical PAA film was found to exhibit hexagonal order with a period of 100 nm. The aspect ratio (cone height vs. the diameter of the base of the cone) of the conical pores on the PAA film was found to be one. The Ni nanocones and the surface morphology of the nano-conical film exhibit the same periodic structure of the template. A significant advantage of the fabrication process employed in this work is that it utilizes existing techniques.