Generation and Structural Analysis of Silicon Nanoparticles

Abstract

ABSTRACTWe have generated 20 to 100 nm sized silicon nanoparticles and analyzed their morphologies using an atomic force microscope (AFM). The particles are formed by deposition of silicon vapor onto silicon wafers and highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG). On silicon substrates, the particles are close to spherical with relatively narrow size distributions and they are randomly located. On graphite substrates the particles are arranged in chains. Within the chains they show strong deformations in the contact areas. We relate this to covalent inter-particle interactions.