Characteristics of silicon nano-pillars fabricated by nano-sphere lithography and metal assisted chemical etching

Silicon nano-pillars (SiNPs) array can be fabricated by top-down approach on silicon wafer by combining nano-sphere lithography (NSL) with metal assisted chemical etching (MACE). The height of SiNPs is controlled by etching time while their diameter is tailored by NSL. In the fabrication process, the 235 nm silica nano-spheres (SNs) are assembled into hexagonally close-packed monolayer by drop-coating method on slanted substrate with assistance of infrared irradiation prior to size reduction by HF vapor etching. Structural morphology of the fabricated SiNPs is analysed by field effect scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Optical characteristics such as reflectance, photo-luminescence (PL) at room temperature, and raman scattering enhancement are comprehensively investigated.

Automated summary

Silicon nano-pillars array can be fabricated on silicon wafer using nano-sphere lithography and metal assisted chemical etching. The height and diameter of the SiNPs are controlled by etching time and NSL respectively. The structural morphology and optical characteristics of the fabricated SiNPs are comprehensively investigated.