Silicon nanowires fabricated by thermal evaporation of silicon monoxide

A large-scale crystalline silicon nanowires (SiNWs) with a diameter of View the MathML source and length of tens of micrometers on Al2O3 templates and silicon wafers were synthesized by the thermal evaporation of silicon monoxide (SiO). The SiNWs were measured by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy, respectively. It was pointed out that the SiNWs possessed the well crystalline structure. Therefore, it is considered that SiO could be used as Si sources to produce larger-scale SiNWs and crystalline SiNWs may grow from amorphous nuclei.