Diameter-independent kinetics in the vapor-liquid-solid growth of Si nanowires.
We examine individual Si nanowires grown by the vapor-liquid-solid mechanism, using real-time in situ ultra high vacuum transmission electron microscopy. By directly observing Au-catalyzed growth of Si wires from disilane, we show that the growth rate is independent of wire diameter, contrary to the expected behavior. Our measurements show that the unique rate-limiting step here is the irreversible, kinetically limited, dissociative adsorption of disilane directly on the catalyst surface. We also identify a novel dependence of growth rate on wire taper.
Kodambaka
S
S
IBM Research Division, T.J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598, USA. skodamb@us.ibm.com
Tersoff
J
J
Reuter
M C
MC
Ross
F M
FM