Novel effects in finite-length silicon nanowires

✍ Scribed by Zdetsis, A. D. ;Koukaras, E. N. ;Garoufalis, C. S.

• Book ID: 105364932
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2008
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 255 KB
• Volume: 205
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0031-8965
• DOI: 10.1002/pssa.200780159

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

By considering silicon nanowires in real space, we have shown by ab initio theoretical calculations that unstable nanowires bend under relaxation. These nanowires usually incorporate in their surface silicon dihydrides parallel to the nanowires axis. On the other hand, nanowires without such parallel dihydrides remain straight and are characterized by increased stability or “magicity”. Reconstructed nanowires have analogous properties but they are characterized by much higher stability. This bending of the nanowires cannot be accounted for by the usual k‐space models which use a one‐dimensional periodic arrangement of the simulation cell. Our theoretical models are based on STM images and schematic views from recent experimental results [Science 229, 1874, (2003)]. Our results are in full accord with these experimental data and interpretations. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)