Characteristics of SiOx nanowires synthesized via the thermal heating of Cu-coated Si substrates

We have demonstrated the growth of SiO_x nanowires by the simple heating of the Cu-coated Si substrates. We have applied X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy techniques to characterize the structure of the samples. The as-synthesized SiO_x nanowires had amorphous structures with diameters in the range of 20–80 nm. The thickness of the Cu layer affected the resultant sample morphology, favoring the nanowire formation at smaller thickness. Photoluminescence spectra of the nanowires exhibited blue emission. We have proposed the possible growth mechanism.