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Gas phase equilibrium limitations on the vapor–liquid–solid growth of epitaxial silicon nanowires using SiCl4

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 July 2011

Sarah M. Eichfeld ,
Haoting Shen ,
Chad M. Eichfeld ,
Suzanne E. Mohney ,
Elizabeth C. Dickey  and
Joan M. Redwing
Sarah M. Eichfeld
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
Haoting Shen
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
Chad M. Eichfeld
Affiliation:
Materials Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
Suzanne E. Mohney
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802; and Materials Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
Elizabeth C. Dickey
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802; and Materials Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
Joan M. Redwing*
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802; and Materials Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
*
a)Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: jmr31@psu.edu
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Abstract

Epitaxially oriented silicon nanowires (SiNWs) were grown on (111) Si substrates by the vapor–liquid–solid technique in an atmospheric-pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD) system using Au as the catalyst and SiCl4 as the source gas. The dependencies of SiNW growth rate on the growth temperature and SiCl4 partial pressure (PSiCl4) were investigated, and the experimental results were compared with calculated supersaturation curves for Si obtained from a gas phase equilibrium model of the SiCl4–H2 system. The SiNW growth rate was found to be weakly dependent on temperature but strongly dependent on the PSiCl4, exhibiting a maximum value qualitatively similar to that predicted from the equilibrium model. The results indicate that SiNW growth from SiCl4 is limited by gas phase chemistry and transport of reactant species to the growth surface under APCVD conditions. The experimental results are discussed within the context of a gas phase mass transport model that takes into account changes in equilibrium partial pressure due to curvature-related Gibbs–Thomson effects.

Keywords

Chemical vapor depositionSiNanoscale
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 26 , Issue 17: Focus Issue: Nanowires: Fundamentals and Applications , 14 September 2011 , pp. 2207 - 2214
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2011

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Footnotes

b)

This author was an editor of this journal during the review and decision stage. For the JMR policy on review and publication of manuscripts authored by editors, please refer tohttp://www.mrs.org/jmr_editor-manuscripts/

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