Effect of oxide thickness on the low temperature ({<=}400 deg. C) growth of cone-shaped silicon nanowires
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan, 426-791 (Korea, Republic of)
Au-catalyzed cone-shaped silicon nanowires (CSiNWs) were grown at low temperature ({<=}400 deg. C) using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). Thin ({<=}3 nm) Au films were evaporated and annealed on a thermally oxidized (0-80 nm) silicon substrate so as to form Au silicides, which, under a supply of SiH{sub 4}, catalyzed the growth of CSiNWs. We have found that the thickness of thermally grown SiO{sub 2} and silicidation annealing critically affect the growth behavior of CSiNWs based on an analysis of areal CSiNW densities. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and real-time in situ ellipsometry were used to characterize the silicidation behavior of a thin Au film annealed with different oxide thicknesses. Interestingly, the optimal condition (10-nm-thick oxide), which showed a maximum areal density of CSiNWs, revealed the highest integration intensity of Au-Si-O (or Au-O-Si) bonding units rather than the Au-Si bonding, as generally expected. The Au-Si-O (or Au-O-Si) bonding is believed to transform into an Au-Si bonding unit during the dissociation of SiH{sub 4} for nanowire growth.
- OSTI ID:
- 21057518
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 102, Issue 4; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2769267; (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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