Ni-catalyzed growth of silicon wire arrays for a Schottky diode

Abstract

Vertically grown Si wire arrays were fabricated on a large scale by the Ni-catalyzed vapor-liquid-solid method. A single Si wire has a length of several tens of micrometers with a pure Si stem and a NiSi2 tip. The NiSi2 tip was spontaneously formed on a Si wire due to a slight lattice mismatch relative to Si. Further, this system provides a Schottky contact having a rectifying ratio of ∼102 with a low leakage current of about 2.88×10−10 A. The growth mechanism of vertical Si wires and the performance of a Schottky diode are discussed.