Synthesis and characterization of dimensionally ordered semiconductor nanowires within mesoporous silica

Semiconductor nanowires of silicon have been synthesized within the ports o f mesoporous silica using a novel supercritical fluid solution-phase approa ch. Mesoporous silica, formed by the hydrolysis of tetramethoxysilane (TMOS ) in the presence of a triblock copolymer surfactant, was employed for the nucleation and growth of quantum-confined nanowires. The filling of the sil ica mesopores with crystalline silicon and the anchoring of these nanowires to the sides of the pens were confirmed by several techniques including el ectron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, Si-29 magic angle spinning nuc lear magnetic resonance, infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray fluorescence. Eff ectively, the silica matrix provides a means of producing a high density of stable, well-ordered arrays of semiconductor nanowires in a low dielectric medium. The ordered arrays of silicon nanowires also exhibited discrete el ectronic and photoluminescence transitions that could be exploited in a num ber of applications, including nanodevices and interconnects.