Iron-catalytic growth of prism-shaped single-crystal silicon nanowires by chemical vapor deposition of silane

Single-crystal silicon nanowires with the prism structures were synthesized by chemical vapor deposition of SiH4 gas at 450 °C. Fe particles which were located at the tip of the CNTs were employed as a catalyst for the growth of silicon nanowires (SiNWs). Transmission electron microscopy studies of the materials showed that the nanowires have a diameter of 50–70 nm and a length of several micrometers. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy demonstrated that the nanowires have excellent single-crystal characteristics. Both the CNTs and Fe play a key role in the growth process of the SiNWs. A growth mechanism was proposed for the growth of silicon nanowires under our experimental conditions.