title: Directed deposition of silicon nanowires using neopentasilane as precursor and gold as catalyst.
abstract: In this work the applicability of neopentasilane (Si(SiH(3))(4)) as a precursor for the formation of silicon nanowires by using gold nanoparticles as a catalyst has been explored. The growth proceeds via the formation of liquid gold/silicon alloy droplets, which excrete the silicon nanowires upon continued decomposition of the precursor. This mechanism determines the diameter of the Si nanowires. Different sources for the gold nanoparticles have been tested: the spontaneous dewetting of gold films, thermally annealed gold films, deposition of preformed gold nanoparticles, and the use of "liquid bright gold", a material historically used for the gilding of porcelain and glass. The latter does not only form gold nanoparticles when deposited as a thin film and thermally annealed, but can also be patterned by using UV irradiation, providing access to laterally structured layers of silicon nanowires.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 7, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors.forename: Britta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kämpken
authors.forename: Verena
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Wulf
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Auner
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Winhold
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huth
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rhinow
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Terfort