SiOx nanostructures grown under atmospheric pressure

Abstract

Using a vapor liquid solid method with Au as the catalyst and a Si substrate as the Si source, high temperature annealing under atmospheric pressure resulted in a series of SiO_x nanoflowers and nanobangles. The growth process and mechanism were investigated by comparing the morphologies of the nanoflowers grown using different annealing conditions. Triangular etch pits over ten micrometers in size were found scattered on the substrates, around which different SiO_x nanoflowers had developed dozens of micrometers away. Photoluminescence measurements of the nanoflowers demonstrated that the luminous intensities increased with the increasing length and amount of the nanoflowers' petals.