Fabrication of Single‐Crystalline Silicon Nanowires by Scratching a Silicon Surface with Catalytic Metal Particles

Abstract A novel strategy for preparing large‐area, oriented silicon nanowire (SiNW) arrays on silicon substrates at near room temperature by localized chemical etching is presented. The strategy is based on metal‐induced (either by Ag or Au) excessive local oxidation and dissolution of a silicon substrate in an aqueous fluoride solution. The density and size of the as‐prepared SiNWs depend on the distribution of the patterned metal particles on the silicon surface. High‐density metal particles facilitate the formation of silicon nanowires. Well‐separated, straight nanoholes are dug along the Si block when metal particles are well dispersed with a large space between them. The etching technique is weakly…