One-dimensional silicon nanostructures fabricated by thermal evaporation

One-dimensional silicon nanostructures were fabricated by evaporating silicon monoxide (SiO) powders at 1050 °C and collecting the products on gold-coated silicon substrates. The uniform and dense silicon nanowires with the diameter of about 20–30 nm and the length of tens of microns were observed. However, the tufts of silicon nanowires were found while the silicon substrates without gold coating were used. Moreover, the chain-like silicon nano-structures with obvious core-shell morphology that displays a homojunction structure composed of cylindrical section and the oscillating section was also found. Finally, the biforked silicon nanowires with the same diameter of branches were detected, which is hard to understand on the current growth mechanism of silicon nanowires.