Growth of silicon nanowires by chemical vapour deposition on gold implanted silicon substrates

Silicon nanowires (SiNWs) were synthesized by the vapour-liquid-solid (VLS) growth mechanism using gold implanted silicon substrates. Implantation of high ion fluences leads to an amorphized silicon layer at the wafer surface. During annealing the Au in the implanted region agglomerates and yields Au droplets at the surface upon recrystallization of the amorphous layer. The structural quality of nanowires grown from implanted substrates is comparable to those grown on wafers with evaporated gold films. This opens up new possibilities for local growth of SiNWs by implanting through masks or using a focused ion beam technique.