Method and system for the synthesis of semiconductor nanowires

Abstract

The invention provides a system and method for producing semiconductor nanowires, for example germanium or Silicon, grown by solution decomposition comprising the steps of heating at least one high boiling point solvent to its reaction temperature in a chamber and injecting a precursor directly into the chamber to react with the at least one high boiling solvent to produce a refluxing solvent. Subsequent vapour deposition of a monomer, achieved by the refluxing solvent, onto a locally heated substrate contained within the chamber produces the semiconductor nanowires. The system and method removes the dependency upon the incorporation of metal catalyst for the production of silicon and germanium nanowire, thereby nullifying the adverse effects of metal contamination in the resulting semiconductor nanowires.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.