Rapid thermal oxidation of silicon nanowires

Oxidation kinetics of silicon nanowires (SiNWs) subjected to rapid thermal oxidation (RTO) at 900 degrees C and 1000 degrees C in dry oxygen for exposure times ranging from 1 to 7.5 min is reported. For 1 min, SiNWs exhibit an enhanced oxidation rate compared to planar silicon, but for longer exposures the oxidation rates of SiNWs and planar Si are similar. Compared to furnace oxidation of SiNWs, RTO provides faster average oxidation rates and a weaker dependence of oxide shell thickness on the NW diameter. Our results demonstrate that RTO is an efficient approach for controlled oxidation of SiNWs.