Issue 37, 2012

Induction of the surface plasmon resonance from C-incorporated Au catalyst in Si1−xCx nanowires

Abstract

Si1−xCx nanowires (NWs) were synthesized by varying the ratio of SiH4 and CH3SiH3 gases using a vapor–liquid–solid (VLS) procedure using Au as a catalyst. The growth rate of the Si1−xCx NWs and the change in the wire shape from straight to helical near the Au tip were found to be closely related to the ratio of the CH3SiH3 content. The large concentration of C in the Si1−xCx NWs was proportional to the CH3SiH3 content, overcoming the extremely low solubility of C in Si, resulting in an interstitial incorporation of C atoms in the wire. This incorporation can be attributed to the cleavage of Si–C bonds in the CH3SiH3 compound through the Au catalyst (an Au–Si liquid-state cluster of about 70–100 nm) during wire growth by the VLS method. Simultaneously supplying CH3SiH3 and SiH4 gases enhanced the diffusion of Au atoms from the tip to the sidewall of the wire, while also deforming the shape of the Au tip. When the CH3SiH3 gas was increased to 1.5 sccm, the number of Au nanoparticles (2–3 nm in size) at the lateral surface induced a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and improved the optical conductivity (σ) of the Si1−xCx NWs. For 2 sccm of CH3SiH3, a remarkable increase in the number of C atoms incorporated in the Au nanoparticles along the sidewall red shifted the SPR peak, suggesting that the SPR can be modulated by the Au–C interactions in the nanoparticles.

Graphical abstract: Induction of the surface plasmon resonance from C-incorporated Au catalyst in Si1−xCx nanowires

Supplementary files

Additions and corrections

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
01 Jun 2012
Accepted
30 Jul 2012
First published
30 Jul 2012

J. Mater. Chem., 2012,22, 19744-19751

Induction of the surface plasmon resonance from C-incorporated Au catalyst in Si1−xCx nanowires

W. Lee, J. W. Ma, J. M. Bae, S. H. Park, K. Jeong, M. Cho, C. Lee, K. Han and K. Jeong, J. Mater. Chem., 2012, 22, 19744 DOI: 10.1039/C2JM33527A

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