Microstructures of Silicon Nanoparticles Synthesized Using Double Tube Reactor with Inductively Coupled Plasma

Abstract

Silicon nanoparticles were synthesized using inductively coupled plasma (ICP), and their microstructures were investigated by using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diraction, and transmission electron microscopy. Applying ICP in a tube reactor, the shape of the plasma region was very sensitive to the process conditions and reactor geometry. For the control of the plasma shapes, an additional inner tube was inserted into the quartz tube reactor. To evaluate the advantages of this double tube reactor, we investigated the microstructures of the silicon nanoparticles synthesized in this manner under various process conditions. This additional tube reduced the length of the plasma zone and formed highly-dense plasma only near the ICP coil. Injection of the reactive gas through the inner tube resulted in the formation of single-crystalline nannoparticles with 13.47 nm diameters.