Vertical nanowire formation via metal-induced wet chemical etching method

Nanotechnology has received a lot of interest lately that will directly or indirectly benefit our daily lives. With the use of nanotechnology, researchers and scientists are now able to fabricate materials at a molecular scale. A great deal of effort has been made to fabricate one-dimensional nanostructured materials for their unique dimension and physical properties. In microelectronics, researchers are attracted to the potentials that silicon nanowires and nanowire arrays can provide [1]. The use of nanotechnology enables scientists and researchers to build more powerful and lightweight devices. In order to ensure the economical survival of the integrated circuit industry, device miniaturization and innovative new structures are necessary. One-dimensional nanoscale wires and tubes have attracted considerable attention due to their electronic and optical properties in the field of functional nanoscale electronic devices [2]. Although there are numerous methods to form semiconductor nanowires, this report attempts to provide detailed study on the nanowire formation using metal-assisted wet chemical etching method and explanations on how different etching time and substrates will affect the length and orientation of the nanowires formed. A simple and efficient method using aqueous hydrofluoric acid and silver nitrate solution to prepare large area oriented nanowires on semiconductor substrates shall be first discussed, followed by nanohole structures formed using wet chemical etching. Lastly, silicon nanowire arrays with controlled size, orientation and packing density are achieved using nanosphere lithography combined with catalytic wet chemical etching method. The various chemicals, types of substrates, equipments used, experiment procedures and result discussion of the experiments will also be explained in detail. The possible future developments of the project will also be discussed.Bachelor of Engineerin