Role of titanium and silicon dioxide in amorphous silicon nanowire growth by solid state reaction

The role of titanium and silicon dioxide in vertical growth of amorphous silicon nanowires by solid state reaction was studied by Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Denser, longer, and straighter silicon nanowires over large areas were grown from seedbeds with thick silicon dioxide than from seedbeds with native oxide. The study revealed that the reactive nature of silicon dioxide with titanium plays an important role in synthesis of nanowires and physical properties of seedbeds. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.