Influence of crystalline damage on morphological and optical properties of silicon nanowires

We have studied the effect of crystalline damage on the morphological and optical properties of silicon nanowires (SiNWs) formed by electroless etching. Ag nanoparticles were deposited on p-type Si wafers by electroless metal deposition (EMD). Then, the wafers were etched in HF/H2O2 solution for 15 min at 50 °C. The damage was previously introduced in silicon wafers by phosphorus implantation. Different damage levels were obtained by varying the dose and the energy of phosphorus ions implantation. The morphological and optical properties were studied using scanning electron microscope (SEM), spectroscopy of photoluminescence and reflectance.