The formation of silicon nanoparticles at atmospheric pressure by rapid thermal anneal

ORAL

Abstract

In this study, the formation of silicon nanoparticles by thermal annealing of an initial silicon-on-insulator (SOI) structure is being performed. The SOI samples are synthesized by thermal oxidation of Si (100) wafers followed by magnetron or ion beam sputtering of a thin Si top layer. The thermal anneals are performed in a rapid thermal anneal system at temperatures ranging from 600$^{\circ}$C to 900$^{\circ}$C under atmospheric pressure of flowing Ar gas. The nanoparticle formation process is being studied as a function of the thermal anneal temperature, anneal time, and Si layer thickness. The annealed samples are measured by atomic force microscopy to determine the resulting nanoparticle size distributions and synthesis details. Electron microscopy is also being used for analysis. Results for these synthesis experiments and comparisons with other methods will be presented.

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Authors

  • Justin Frasier

    Texas State University

  • Jonathan Preiss

    Texas State University

  • Mikhail Zhernenkov

    Angelo State University Department of Physics, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas Tech University, The University of Texas at San Antonio, Univeristy of Central Florida-College of Optics and Photonics, BAE Systems, University of Alberta Department of Physics, Istanbul University Department of Physics, Texas Tech University Department of Physics, Istanbul University, Beyazit, University of Alberta, Edmonton, UTD, TAMS at UNT, Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, University at Albany, Dept. of Physics, University of New Orleans, University of Texas at Arlington, Prairie View A\&M University, Chemistry, UTSA, Sciprint.org, Texas Tech University Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas State University, Punjab U, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas, Dept. of Physics, Texas State University, Department of Physics, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson TX 75080, Department of Physics, Texas A\&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-4242, Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, California 92093, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Volta Redonda, RJ, Brazil, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil, Department of Physics, Texas A\&M University, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, University of Texas Arlington, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Max Plank Institute, Dresden, Germany, Education Consultant, APS, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Department of Physics, Texas A\&M University, College Station, TX 77843, LANSCE, Los Alamos National Laboratory

  • Anup Bandyopadhyay

    Texas State University

  • Gregory Spencer

    Texas State University