| Description |
This research work explored the growth of silicon nanowires with titanium catalysts and atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD). A silicon nanowire is a one-dimensional structure having a diameter on the order of a few nanometers to hundreds of nanometers. Depending on the metal-catalyst used for a silicon nanowire growth experiment, traces of the metal catalyst may be incorporated within the wire, presenting a myriad of problems in terms of its end use in devices. Titanium is seen as a possible solution to these compatibility issues in grown silicon nanowires. Generally, the silicon nanowire growth has been described by the vaporliquid- solid (VLS) mechanism, and through the vapor-solid-solid (VSS) mechanism, with titanium-catalyzed growth thought to follow a VSS mechanism. Titanium-catalyzed silicon nanowires were studied and their growth characterized in the range of 650 °C to 1000 °C in 74 growth experiments. In general, silicon deposition was observed at and above 800 °C, with nanowires observed sometimes at 825 °C to 975 °C, and almost regularly from 950 °C to 1000 °C for a partial pressure of the silicon tetrachloride from 1.25 mbarr to 3.9 mbarr. Measured nanowire lengths were adjusted for rotation and tilt angle of the sample holder, to give growth rates, V, versus diameter, d. This gave a growth rate, V, from the plot of 1.58 nm/s to 3.92 nm/s, and diameter, d, from 189 nm |
