Synthesis of highly crystalline needle-like silicon nanowires for enhanced field emission applications

Needle-like silicon nanowires (SiNWs) were successfully synthesized on gold-coated silicon substrates using a very high frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition method (VHF-PECVD). The prepared samples were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and photoluminescence (PL). XRD analysis confirmed formation of single crystalline SiNWs along (111) crystalline planes and microscopic studies revealed formation of NWs with diameters ranging from 10 to 100 nm and lengths of a few micrometers. Furthermore, the presence of gold nanoparticles on the tip of the NWs verified the vapor–liquid–solid growth mechanism of SiNWs. It was also demonstrated that SiNWs are composed of well-crystallized silicon cores and an amorphous shell. The obtained results verified potential application of such structures in field emission displays

The role of silane gas flow rate on PECVD-assisted fabrication of silicon nanowires

Silicon (Si) core–shell nanowires (NWs) were successfully prepared by very high frequency plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition technique, and the effect of silane (SiH4) gas flow rates on physicochemical properties of silicon NWs was investigated. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy were used to characterize SiNWs. Structural properties and morphology of NWs were studied as a function of SiH4 gas flow rate. Microscopic analysis revealed the formation of SiNWs with average tip and stem diameters ranging from 18 to 30 and 21 to 67 nm, respectively. Furthermore, the average length of Si NWs calculated based on the FESEM images was about 300–1800 nm. We have found that the growth of SiNWs increased with increasing in SiH4 gas flow rate. XRD, Raman spectra in addition to high-resolution TEM, verified the formation of crystalline SiNWs. A possible growth mechanism was suggested based on our observations