Silicon nanowires become doped with unexpectedly large
amounts of aluminium during growth, so that their conductivity increases
Nanoelectronics has taken another step forward. An
international team including researchers from the Max Planck Institute of
Microstructure Physics in Halle has discovered an effect which can be used to
produce silicon nanowires with particularly attractive electrical and
morphological properties. These nanowires are grown in an elegant way with
aluminium as the catalyst. The scientists have now discovered that the silicon
incorporates significantly more aluminium in the process than it is expected
from known theories. This has beneficial effects on the properties of the wires,
as the high proportion of aluminium - in semiconductor technology it is called
the dopant - improves their conductivity. The effect could also be used to
produce other highly-doped nanomaterials.