Gold (Au) implantation in silicon (Si) has been a topic of great interest from both fundamental and applied perspectives. Ion implantation is a versatile technique due to its ability to form surface-embedded nanoparticles that provide better adhesion. Also, being an integral part of the substrate lattice, the nanoclusters produced by ion implantation are free from impurities and their size distribution can be controlled by carefully optimizing the beam parameters. During our experiments to produce nanoclusters of Au on Si for use as seeds for the growth of nanowires, we stumbled across an unusual pattern formation process under specific conditions. This unique self-assembly process is observed only within a critical threshold implantation fluence and above a threshold annealing temperature. Fabrication of ordered arrays of metal nanoparticles on Si substrates is of significance for both fundamental science associated with low-dimensional physics and technical app lications. The application of functional nanostructures strongly depends on their assembly in ordered one- or two- dimensional arrangements. These arrangements may play an important role in fabricating ordered arrays of semiconductor/oxide nanowires.This thesis discusses a systematic study performed to understand the temperature and time dependent nucleation, growth of Au nanoclusters and evolution of the self-assembled patterns. A growth model is proposed to show the re-crystallization behaviour of Au supersaturated amorphous silicon (a-Si) on Si substrate. The observed self-assembled periodic patterns of Au nanoclusters bear resemblance to the Liesegang ring structures prevalent in some chemical reaction-diffusion systems. Based on this systematic study of the growth and morphology of Au nanoclusters, a tentative growth mechanism has been proposed for the formation mechanism of this unusual self-assembled pattern. The pattern formation of this non-equilibrium process is expected to originate due to instabilities of the three scales of Au nanoclusters at elevated temperatures. The kinetics of pattern formation from a supersaturated solid solution (a-Si/Au alloy) is demonstrated using numerical solutions obtained by a two-dimensional growth model, which takes into account the nucleation, diffusion and the aggregation process. The numerical solution of the diffusion equations appear to be in good agreement with the experimental results.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/210493 |
| Date | January 2008 |
| Creators | Venkatachalam, Dinesh Kumar, Dinesh.Venkatachalam@anu.edu.au |
| Publisher | RMIT University. Applied Sciences |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | http://www.rmit.edu.au/help/disclaimer, Copyright Dinesh Kumar Venkatachalam |
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