Preparation of silicon-based nanowires through high-temperature annealing

Preparation of silicon-based nanowires through high-temperature annealing

Shuang Xi  Shuangshuang Zuo  Ying Liu  Yinlong Zhu  Yutu Yang  Binli Gou 

School of Mechanical and Electronical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China

Corresponding Author Email: 
shuangxi@hust.edu.cn
Page: 
149-158
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DOI: 
https://doi.org/10.3166/ACSM.42.149-158
Received: 
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Accepted: 
| | Citation

OPEN ACCESS

Abstract: 

This paper explores the effects of process parameters on the structure and morphology of silicon-based nanowires. Specifically, the substrate of silicon was annealed at high temperature or with a metal catalyst, such that numerous silicon-based nanowires were grown on the silicon wafer. Through the adjustment of process parameters, SiO2 nanowires, Si3N4 nanowires and SiOxNy nanowires were produced with different morphologies. The process parameters that affect the final structure were determined as the carrier gas for annealing, the type of metal catalyst and the substrate surface. After that, the morphology of the nanowires was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the composition of the nanowires was tested by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and the relationship between the microstructure of the nanowires and various parameters was analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results show that the Si3N4 nanowires and SiOxNy nanowires are single crystals requiring harsh preparing processes, while SiO2 nanowires were amorphous and have low requirements on the growth environment. In addition, the optical properties of SiO2 nanowire film and SiOxNy nanowire film were characterized, proving their ultra-bright whiteness. The research findings lay the theoretical basis for the controlled growth of silicon-based nanowires, and provide a simple and efficient method for batch growth of nanowires

Keywords: 

silicon-based nanowires, high-temperature annealing, morphology, microstructure

1. Introduction
2. Experiment
3. Results and discussion
4. Conclusions
Acknowledgement

This work is financially supported by Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (BK20160934)

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