Researchers discover way to grow silicon nanowires

February 24, 2004 | Source: KurzweilAI

Oregon Health & Science University researchers have discovered a new way to accurately grow silicon nanowires on an electrode for use in fabricating nanoscale electronic devices.

Silicon nanowires are typically between 5 and 20 nanometers in diameter. They are grown in a quartz reactor using a technique developed decades ago by Bell Labs called vapor-liquid-solid deposition. “The addition of the electrical fields is what’s new,” said Raj Solanki, Ph.D., professor of electrical engineering professor in OHSU’s OGI School of Science & Engineering. “We have also grown nickel silicide conducting nanowires, which will be useful for contacting the silicon semiconductor nanowires.”

Oregon Health & Science University press release