Stiffness properties of porous silicon nanowires fabricated by electrochemical and laser-induced etching

Nanowires with dimensions of few nanometers were formed on the whole etched surface. The optical analysis of silicon nanostructures was studied. Blue shift luminescence was observed at 660 nm for PS produced by electrochemical etching, and at 629 nm for laser-induced etching. PS produced a blue shift at 622 nm using both etching procedures simultaneously. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to investigate the crystallites size of PS as well as to provide an estimate of the degree of crystallinty of the etched sample. Refractive index, optical dielectric constant, bulk modulus and elasticity are calculated to investigate the optical and stiffness properties of PS nanowires, respectively. The elastic constants and the short-range force constants of PS are investigated.     

Effect of temperature and silicon resistivity on the elaboration of silicon nanowires by electroless etching

The morphology of silicon nanowire (SiNW) layers formed by Ag-assisted electroless etching in HF/H₂O₂ solution was studied. Prior to the etching, the Ag nanoparticles were deposited on p-type Si(1 0 0) wafers by electroless metal deposition (EMD) in HF/AgNO₃ solution at room temperature. The effect of etching temperature and silicon resistivity on the formation process of nanowires was studied. The secondary ion mass spectra (SIMS) technique is used to study the penetration of silver in the etched layers. The morphology of etched layers was investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM).     

Effects of silver and gold catalytic activities on the structural and optical properties of silicon nanowires

The metal-assisted chemical etching of silicon in an aqueous solution of hydrofluoric acid and hydrogen peroxide is established for the fabrication of large area, uniform silicon nanowire (SiNW) arrays. In this study, silver (Ag) and gold (Au) are considered as catalysts and the effect of different catalysts with various thicknesses on the structural and optical properties of the fabricated SiNWs is investigated. The morphology of deposited catalysts on the silicon wafer is characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). It is shown that the morphology of the fabricated silicon nanostructures remarkably depends upon the catalyst layer thickness, and the catalyst etching time directly affects the structural and optical properties of the synthesized SiNWs. FESEM images show a linear increment of the nanowire length versus time, whereas the etching rate for the Au-etched SiNWs was lower than the Ag-etched ones. Strong light scattering in SiNWs caused the total reflection to decrease in the range of visible light, and this decrement was higher for the Ag-etched SiNW sample, with a longer length than the Au-etched one. A broadband visible photoluminescence (PL) with different peak positions is observed for the Au- and Ag-etched samples. The synthesized optically active SiNWs can be considered as a promising candidate for a new generation of nano-scale opto-electronic devices.     

Fabrication and characterization of polycrystalline silicon nanowires with silver-assistance by electroless deposition

Single crystal silicon wafers are widely used as the precursors to prepare silicon nanowires by employing a silver-assisted chemical etching process. In this work, we prepared polycrystalline silicon nanowire arrays by using solar-grade multicrystalline silicon wafers. The chemical composition and bonding on the surface of silicon nanowire arrays were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscope, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscope. The photoluminescence spectra of silicon nanowires show red light emissions centered around 700 nm. Due to the passivation effect of Si dangling bonds by concentrated HNO₃ aqueous solution, the photoluminescence intensities are improved by 2 times. The influences of surface chemical states on the wettability of silicon nanowire arrays were also studied. We obtained a superhydrophobic surface on the as-etched silicon nanowire arrays without surface modification with any organic low-surface-energy materials, and realized the evolution from superhydrophobicity to superhydrophilicity via surface modifications with HNO₃ solutions.     

Biological functionalization and patterning of porous silicon prepared by Pt-assisted chemical etching

Porous silicon fabricated via Pt-assisted chemical etching of p-type Si (1 0 0) in 1:1:1 EtOH/HF/H₂O₂ solution possesses a longer durability in air and in aqueous media than anodized one, which is advantageous for biomedical applications. Its surface SiHx (x = 1 and 2) species can react with 10-undecylenic acid completely under microwave irradiation, and subsequent derivatizations of the end carboxylic acid result in affinity capture of proteins. We applied two approaches to produce protein microarrays: photolithography and spotting. The former provides a homogeneous microarray with a very low fluorescence background, while the latter presents an inhomogeneous microarray with a high noise background.     

Electrochemical albumin sensing based on silicon nanowires modified by gold nanoparticles

Si nanowires (SiNWs) were modified by Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) using a self-assembled monolayer of aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) and used for direct sensing of the bovine serum albumin (BSA). It was shown that repeated thermal treatment of the sensor greatly enhanced the reliability of the SiNW sensor by increasing the electrical conductivity largely from carbonization of the APTES molecules and from bringing the AuNPs in intimate contact with the SiNW surface. The AuNP-modified SiNW array sensor was able to detect 1-7 μM of BSA. The sensor exhibited a good sensitivity over the tested concentration range and linear behavior. It is expected that the proposed label-free biosensor can be further developed to selectively detect and quantify biomolecules other than BSA.     

Multiform structures with silicon nanopillars by cesium chloride self-assembly and dry etching

We develop a novel method to fabricate multiform structures of Si nanopillars (diameters > 40 nm, aspect ratio > 10, coverage ratio > 35%) by dry etch with self-assembled cesium chloride (CsCl) nanoislands as mask. The pillars can cover structures of lateral size 1 μm and unpolished Si wafer, enabling uneven surface to be textured by nanopillars without complex process or expensive polishing. Planar micro-patterns and tridimensional localization of nanopillars have been easily realized, useful for integrating nanopillars to devices. By figuring out substrate influences, fast formation of CsCl islands within 1 min has been achieved for the first time, making CsCl process flow to be possibly controlled within 30 min. Based on the deliquescence of salt, CsCl self-assembly is simple, widely tunable and compatible, which endows the approaches great practical potential.     

Casimir-Lifshitz quantum state of superhydrophobic black-silicon surfaces manufactured by a metal-assisted hierarchical nano-microtexturing process

We investigated superhydrophobic Si nanosurfaces similar to the lotus leaf by performing a hierarchical nanotexturing process on micropyramidal Si surfaces. The process was carried out using a metal-assisted chemical etching process based upon the deposition of Ag nanoparticles. The hierarchical micro-nanosurfaces showed a superhydrophobic character with contact angles of approximately 134～150°. The photon tunnelling also provides a strong light absorption as a black Si. The surface-light emission from broad and sharp photoluminescence was observed in the wavelength ranges of 414.7～440 and 509～516.2?nm. The field-induced tunnelling current on nanosurface shows the formation of quantum surface states. From the analyses of Casimir-Lifshitz quantum state of a photon in vacuum, the superhydrophobic behaviour of water droplet is closely related to the nanosurface and the nanoporous cavity shows the absorption of terahertz energy. Si nanosurface shows the broadband absorption in the spectral range of 800～900 cm^?1 corresponding to the energy range of 99.2～111.6?meV with 24～27 THz.     

Microstructure array on Si and SiOx generated by micro-contact printing, wet chemical etching and reactive ion etching

A method, combining micro-contact printing (μCP), wet chemical etching and reactive ion etching (RIE), is reported to fabricate microstructures on Si and SiOx. Positive and negative structures were generated based on different stamps used for μCP. The reproducibility of the obtained microstructures shows the methodology reported herein could be useful in Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS), optical and biological sensing applications.     

Remarkable effects of surface dihydride configurations in electronic properties of 110 silicon nanowires

Based on density functional theoretical calculations, we present remarkable differences in the electronic properties of 110 silicon nanowires (SiNWs) with symmetric and canted dihydrides (SiH₂) on (100) facets which are, however, energetically very competitive. It is found that surface terminations with the canted SiH₂ result in dramatic widening of the band gap, with an increment as large as 20%. The valence band maximum diffuses in the surface layers, which enhances the electronic activity of surface defects. The revealed significant effects of the surface multistates could be important for the surface functionization of SiNWs.     

Silica-based microcavity fabricated by wet etching

Silica whispering gallery mode(WGM) microcavities were fabricated by the buffered oxide etcher and potassium hydroxide wet etching technique without any subsequent chemical or laser treatments. The silicon pedestal underneath was an octagonal pyramid, thus providing a pointed connection area with the top silica microdisk while weakly influencing the resonance modes. The sidewalls of our microdisks were wedge shaped, which was believed to be an advantage for the mode confinement. Efficient coupling from and to the 60 μm diameter microdisk structure was achieved using tapered optical fibres, exhibiting a quality factor of 1.5×10~4 near a wavelength of 1550 nm. Many resonance modes were observed, and double transverse electric modes were identified by theoretical calculations. The quality factor of the microdisks was also analysed to deduce the cavity roughness. The wet etching technique provides a more convenient avenue to fabricate WGM microdisks than conventional fabrication methods.     

Macro and microsurface morphology reconstructions during laser-induced etching of silicon

Surface morphologies of the laser-etched silicon were studied as a function of the laser power densities. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) results show that different kind of microstructures develop. Pores like structures are formed at low laser power density and pillar like structures are obtained at higher laser power density. It is the etching rate, which is responsible for the surface morphology reconstructions. Etching rate was found to be a function of the laser power density. Atomic force microscope (AFM) results reveal that macro and microsurface morphology reconstructions take place simultaneously as a result of increasing etching rate. Macrosurface morphology reconstruction takes place on the silicon wafer surface and the microsurface morphology reconstruction takes place inside the pore wall.     

Oxide-assisted growth of silicon nanowires by carbothermal evaporation

Silicon nanowires (SiNWs) have successfully been synthesized by carbothermal evaporation method. By ramping-up the furnace system at 20 °C min⁻¹ to 1100 °C for 6 h, the vertically aligned coexist with crooked SiNWs were achieved on the silicon substrate located at 12 cm from source material. The processing parameters such as temperature, heating rate, duration, substrate position and location are very important to produce SiNWs. Morphology and chemical composition of deposited products were investigated by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) equipped with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). The existence of small sphere silicon oxide capped nanowires suggested that the formation of SiNWs was governed by oxide-assisted growth (OAG) mechanism.     

Fluorescence sensor for Cu(II) based on R6G derivatives modified silicon nanowires

A fluorescence sensor for selective detection of Cu(II) is realized by covalently immobilizing derivatives of rhodamine6G (R6G) on the surface of silicon nanowires (SiNWs). It features the release of R6G from the SiNWs in the presence of Cu(II), which causes a significant enhancement of the fluorescence over other metal ions. The present Cu(II) sensor has good selectivity and sensitivity, and exhibits a linear response in the range of 0.0-7.0 μM Cu(II). Different from conventional Cu(II) sensor with fluorescence quenching, the present sensor based on fluorescence enhancement facilitates the practical application. Especially, the release of the R6G from SiNWs could be utilized as fluorescent labeling for Cu(II) in microenvironment.     

Patterning of porous silicon by metal-assisted chemical etching under open circuit potential conditions

Porous silicon is the most studied Si-based light-emitting material. The potential for the application of porous silicon in optoelectronics and also for chemical or biochemical sensing is high. Therefore, the successful patterning of porous silicon on Si wafers is of great interest. HF-based aqueous solutions containing H₂O₂ as oxidizing agent, in combination with appropriate metal deposition, can supply the necessary current in order to sustain the electrochemical etching of single crystalline Si under no external anodic bias. The H₂O₂ concentration can tune the etching rate of the Si wafers as well as the observed photoluminescence intensity and photon energy. We demonstrate that porous silicon growth can be preferentially initiated at sites where metal (Pt) has been deposited and effectively be confined there, in order to form a well-defined pattern of desired geometry. Conventional DC sputtering using stainless-steel masks was applied in order to test various patterning geometries and lengthscales. Photoluminescence spectroscopy, atomic force and optical microscopy were used in order to characterize the produced porous silicon patterns. This method could be a simple, cost-effective way for the production of porous silicon patterns on Si wafers, which could be used in various fields of application.     

One-dimensional photonic crystal fabricated by the photochemical etching of silicon

The formation of periodic wall arrays on an n-type (100) Si substrate with V-shaped seed grooves on the surface was investigated. The influence of silicon sidewall roughness on the optical properties of onedimensional (1D) of photonic crystals obtained on the basis of the arrays was studied. The reflection spectra of the 1D photonic crystals exhibit a high modulation level of up to 95% and photonic band gaps of a high order that are in good agreement with calculations over a wide spectral range (1.5—15 μm).     

Aligned silicon nanowires with fine‐tunable tilting angles by metal‐assisted chemical etching on off‐cut wafers

The morphology control of aligned silicon nanowires (SiNWs) is highly desirable as SiNWs demonstrated high prospect in a variety of applications. Besides the control over length, shape and distribution of aligned SiNWs, the fine‐tuning of tilting angles thereof also attracted intense interest. Up to now, only several discrete tilting angles have been reported. In this Letter, the ability to fine‐tune the tilting angle of SiNWs is demonstrated and the range that can be achieved is identified. Our technique employs the anisotropic characteristic of the etching process using custom‐produced off‐cut Si wafers of various orientations as substrates. With this technique, a uniquely favoured etching direction can result and the tilting angle can be precisely controlled. Tilted SiNWs with tilting angles from 0° to 50° relative to the wafer normal were obtained. The mechanism of the tilting angle manipulation is also discussed. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Silicon nano-wires fabricated by thermal evaporation of silicon wafer

Thin silicon nano-wires (SiNWs) with a diameter of 10–20 nm were fabricated by a simple thermal evaporation of silicon wafer at 1523 K. The gold produced by an electrochemical method was covered on the wafer surface as catalyst. It was found that the SiNWs are amorphous and its Raman peak shifted down maybe due to the effect of laser heating and quantum confinement. Finally, a temperature gradient growth model is suggested to explain the growth direction of SiNWs.     

Pulsed electroluminescence in silicon nanocrystals-based devices fabricated by PECVD

Fully compatible CMOS capacitive devices have been developed in order to obtain electrically stimulated luminescence. By high-temperature annealing in N₂ atmosphere PECVD non-stoichiometric silica layers, silicon nanocrystals were formed. Photoluminescence, as well as structural studies, were carried out on these layers to decide the best material composition, which lies next to 17% of silicon excess. Under pulsed electrical stimulation, devices show sharp, narrow, less than 5 μs and pulse-frequency-independent, luminescence peaks at the end of the stimulation pulse. Current analysis on those capacities show hole injection at the beginning and electron injection at the end of the stimulation pulses. It is seen that no positive pulses are needed for attaining bipolar charge injection. Electroluminescence is detected when biasing with negative pulses at about 15 V and increasing up to 50 V. The electroluminescence spectrum matches photoluminescence one, allowing assigning both luminescent radiation to the same emission mechanism, that is, electron–hole recombination within the silicon nanocrystals.