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Control growth of silicon nanocolumns’ epitaxy on silicon nanowires

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Abstract

The epitaxial growth of Si nanocolumns on Si nanowires was studied using hot-wire chemical vapor deposition. A single-crystalline and surface oxide-free Si nanowire core (core radius ~21 ± 5 nm) induced by indium crystal seed was used as a substance for the vapor phase epitaxial growth. The growth process is initiated by sidewall facets, which then nucleate upon certain thickness to form Si islands and further grow to form nanocolumns. The Si nanocolumns with diameter of 10–20 nm and aspect ratio up to 10 can be epitaxially grown on the surface of nanowires. The results showed that the radial growth rate of the Si nanocolumns remains constant with the increase of deposition time. Meanwhile, the radial growth rates are controllable by manipulating the hydrogen to silane gas flow rate ratio. The optical antireflection properties of the Si nanocolumns’ decorated SiNW arrays are discussed in the text.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the UM/MOHE High Impact Research Grant Allocation of F000006-21001, the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme of KPT1058-2012, and the University Malaya Research Grant (UMRG) of RG205-11AFR. The authors would also like to thanks Mr. M. Idrus Sidik for the HRTEM measurement.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Low Dimensional Materials Research Centre, Department of Physics, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Su Kong Chong & Saadah Abdul Rahman

  2. Institute of Microengineering and Nanoelectronics (IMEN), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

    Chang Fu Dee

  3. Faculty of Science and Information Technology, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, 31750, Seri Iskandar, Perak, Malaysia

    Noorhana Yahya

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  1. Su Kong Chong
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  2. Chang Fu Dee
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  3. Noorhana Yahya
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  4. Saadah Abdul Rahman
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Correspondence to Su Kong Chong.

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Chong, S.K., Dee, C.F., Yahya, N. et al. Control growth of silicon nanocolumns’ epitaxy on silicon nanowires. J Nanopart Res 15, 1571 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-013-1571-z

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