title: Phonon band structure of si nanowires: a stability analysis.
abstract: We present full ab initio calculations of the phonon band structure of thin Si nanowires oriented along the [110] direction. Using these phonon dispersion relations, we investigate the structural stability of these wires. We found that all studied wires were stable also when doped with either B or P, if the unit cell was taken sufficiently large along the wire axis. The evolution of the phonon dispersion relations and of the sound velocities with respect to the wire diameters is discussed. Softening is observed for acoustic modes and hardening for optical phonon modes with increasing wire diameters.
authors.affiliation: Universiteit Antwerpen, Departement Fysica, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerpen, Belgium. Hartwin.Peelaers@ua.ac.be
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Peelaers
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Partoens
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Peeters
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D003460:Crystallization / Q000379:methods*; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004583:Electrons; D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000737:chemistry; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D043942:Nanotubes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D010316:Particle Size; D012825:Silicon / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D012825:Silicon