Fabrication of Si and Ge nanostructure arrays by ion beam irradiation

The periodical semiconductor nanostructure arrays have the potential for electronic and optoelectronic application. Comparing to the conventional low efficiency lithographic techniques broad ion beam erosion is a simple and potentially mass productive technique to fabricate the nanostructure patterns on semiconductor surface.[1] Based on a “self-organized” erosion process, periodical nanoripple, nanohole, nanodot and nanotip arrays can be generated due to the interplay of different processes.[2] As the ion beam erosion is performed on Si /Ge thin layer on insulator substrate and precisely ceased when the nanopattern moves to the interface of the buried oxide layer, an array of separate nanostructure can be fabricated on insulator. This work reports the fabrication of the horizontal silicon nanowire arrays on insulator by ion beam erosion of Si-on-insulator substrate [3] and the fabrication of different single crystal Ge nanopattern and nanostructure based on novel “negative epitaxy” process induced by ion beam erosion. The electrical doping behaviour of the fabricated Si nanowire and formation mechanism of the Ge nanopattern will be discussed.
[1] Stefan Facsko et al. Science 285, 1551 (1999).
[2] C. S. Madi et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 066101 (2011).
[3] Xin Ou et al. AIP Advances, 1, 042174 (2011).