Ion Implanted SiO2 Substrates for Nucleating Silicon Oxide Nanowire Growth

We experimentally demonstrate a simple and efficient approach for silicon oxide nanowire growth by implanting Fe(+) ions into thermally grown SiO(2) layers on Si wafers and subsequently annealing in argon and hydrogen to nucleate silicon oxide nanowires. We study the effect of implantation dose and energy, growth temperature, and H(2) gas flow on the SiO(x) nanowire growth. We find that sufficiently high implant dose, high growth temperature, and the presence of H(2) gas flow are crucial parameters for silicon oxide nanowire growth. We also demonstrate the patterned growth of silicon oxide nanowires in localized areas by lithographic patterning and etching of the implanted SiO(2) substrates before growth. This works opens up the possibility of growing silicon oxide nanowires directly from solid substrates, controlling the location of nanowires at the submicron scale, and integrating them into nonplanar three-dimensional nanoscale device structures.