Synthesis of Ordered Single Crystal Silicon Nanowire Arrays

The fast and inexpensive production of single-crystal silicon nanowires, which circumvents the use of lithography, is achieved by pyrolysis of silane in nanochannel alumina with a gold catalyst. The nanowires (see Figure for an SEM image) are very straight, not intertwined, and uniform in diameter and length. They should be good candidates for silicon field emitter arrays with high tip density.