| abstract |
While a silicon substrate is heated, gold is evaporatednthereon at a thickness of 0.6 nm, whereby melted alloyndroplets are formed on the substrate surface. Then, thensilicon substrate is heated to 450°-650°C in a silane gasnatmosphere of less than 0.5 Torr. As a result, a silane gasndecomposition reaction occurs with the melted alloy dropletsnserving as catalysts, whereby silicon wires grow on thensubstrate surface. Subsequently, the metal alloy droplets atnthe tips of the silicon wires are removed and surfacenportions of the silicon wires are oxidized. Resultingnsurface oxide films are thereafter removed. As a result,nsilicon quantum wires that are thinner by the thickness ofnthe surface oxide films are obtained. |