Growth and Self-Assembly of Silicon⁻Silicon Carbide Nanoparticles into Hybrid Worm-Like Nanostructures at the Silicon Wafer Surface

Nanomaterials (Basel). 2018 Nov 20;8(11):954. doi: 10.3390/nano8110954.

Abstract

This work describes the growth of silicon⁻silicon carbide nanoparticles (Si⁻SiC) and their self-assembly into worm-like 1D hybrid nanostructures at the interface of graphene oxide/silicon wafer (GO/Si) under Ar atmosphere at 1000 °C. Depending on GO film thickness, spread silicon nanoparticles apparently develop on GO layers, or GO-embedded Si⁻SiC nanoparticles self-assembled into some-micrometers-long worm-like nanowires. It was found that the nanoarrays show that carbon⁻silicon-based nanowires (CSNW) are standing on the Si wafer. It was assumed that Si nanoparticles originated from melted Si at the Si wafer surface and GO-induced nucleation. Additionally, a mechanism for the formation of CSNW is proposed.

Keywords: graphene oxide; nanoparticles; nanowires; self-assembly; silicon; silicon carbide; thermal reduction.