The growth mechanism for silicon oxide nanowires synthesized from an Au nanoparticle/polyimide/Si thin film stack

During pyrolysis of polyimide ( PI) thin film, amorphous silicon oxide nanowires (SiO(x)NWs) were produced on a large scale through heat treatment of an Au nanoparticle/PI/Si thin film stack at 1000 degrees C. It was shown that carbonization of the PI film preceded the nucleation of the SiOxNWs. The formation of the SiOxNWs was sustained by the oxygen derived from carbonization of the polyimide thin film while Si was provided from the substrate. Au nanoparticles promoted the SiOxNW growth by inducing localized melting of the Si substrate and by catalyzing the nanowire growth.