VLS GROWTH OF SILICON WHISKERS ON A PATTERNED SILICON-ON-INSULATOR (SOI) WAFER

An array of VLS silicon whiskers, over 500 mu m in length, under 20 mu m in diameter and 60 mu m in pitch, has been grown on the silicon pat tern of a SOI wafer. The ''mesa method'', in which VLS whiskers were g rown on silicon mesas topped with gold hats, was successfully applied to determine growth sites to micrometer accuracy. The whiskers and the pattern were further selectively plated with Ni/Au, and allowed elect rical conduction that enables their application as electrical probe pi ns, during buckling deformation of the whiskers at the contacts.