In situ observation of bamboo-shoot-like one-dimensional growth of SiOx-AgyO nanowires induced by electron beam irradiation

A one-dimensional growth induced by electron beam radiation has been in situ investigated by electron microscopy. Bamboo-shoot-like wires were grown under the proper electron beam irradiation condition from pre-prepared nanostructures of silver and silicon oxide particle balls. The growth kinetics of this kind of wire has been analyzed. The wires grew very fast in the beginning, but the growth rate decayed very quickly as the illuminating time increasing. The growth would be ceased in several seconds to several minutes. The diameter of the wire increased as the wire grew. A softening and deforming mechanism has been proposed to depict the growth of these new wires. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.