Learn more about structured nanowires (Si silicon / germanium Gi) based on PhD in nano-microelectronics (PhD in research)

Researcher  and author: PhD student  (   Afshin Rashid)

Note: Filaments and cylinders of fine nanowires  with structure (silicon / germanium) are   used for possible applications in energy, electronics, optics and other fields.

Nanowires  (Si Silicon / Germanium Gi)  , thin structures that are only a few billionths in diameter but thousands or millions of times longer. They come in a variety of forms - made of metals, semiconductors, insulators and organic compounds - and are used in the fields of electronics, energy conversion, optics and chemical sensing. Due to their high thinness, nanowires with a structure (Si silicon / germanium Gi) are  essentially one-dimensional. Nanowires are  quasi-one-dimensional materials, "their two dimensions are at the nanometer scale." This one-dimensional bestows distinct electrical and optical properties. For one thing, this means that the electrons and photons in these nanowires experience "encapsulated quantum effects." " However, unlike other materials that produce such quantum effects as quantum dots, the length of nanowires allows them to communicate with other macroscopic devices and the outside world.

The structure of a nanowire is so simple that there is no room for defect and electrons pass unimpeded. This is a big problem in ordinary crystal semiconductors, such as those made of silicon wafers: this defect is always present in those structures, and those defects interfere with the passage of electrons. In addition, materials that do not normally mix easily can shrink into nanowires. For example, silicon and germanium layers, two widely used semiconductors, "are very difficult to grow together in thin films." "But in nanowires, they can grow without any problems." In addition, the equipment required for this type of vapor deposition is widely used in the semiconductor industry and can easily be adapted for the production of nanowires.

Conclusion : 

Fibers and cylinders of fine nanowires  with structure (silicon / germanium) are   used for possible applications in energy, electronics, optics and other fields.

Author: PhD student  ( Afshin Rashid)

PhD student in nano-microelectronics at Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran