Silicon nanowires: the key building block for future electronic devices

Silicon nanowires (SiNWs) are the most promising building block for future electronic devices; tremendous progress has been made in the past ten years. In this article, the most significant advances in the syntheses and mechanisms, physical properties as well as device fabrication and applications of SiNWs reported in the literature since the beginning of 2006 are highlighted. Past achievements are also briefly summarized, and the future outlook is addressed.