Controlled Synthesis of Millimeter-Long Silicon Nanowires with Uniform Electronic Properties

We report the nanocluster-catalyzed growth of ultralong and highly uniform single-crystalline silicon nanowires (SiNWs) with millimeter-scale lengths and aspect ratios up to approximately 100 000. The average SiNW growth rate using disilane (Si2H6) at 400 °C was 31 μm/min, while the growth rate determined for silane (SiH4) reactant under similar growth conditions was 130 times lower. Transmission electron microscopy studies of millimeter-long SiNWs with diameters of 20−80 nm show that the nanowires grow preferentially along the ⟨110⟩ direction independent of diameter. In addition, ultralong SiNWs were used as building blocks to fabricate one-dimensional arrays of field-effect transistors (FETs) consisting of approximately 100 independent devices per nanowire. Significantly, electrical transport measurements demonstrated that the millimeter-long SiNWs had uniform electrical properties along the entire length of wires, and each device can behave as a reliable FET with an on-state current, threshold voltage, and transconductance values (average ±1 standard deviation) of 1.8 ± 0.3 μA, 6.0 ± 1.1 V, 210 ± 60 nS, respectively. Electronically uniform millimeter-long SiNWs were also functionalized with monoclonal antibody receptors and used to demonstrate multiplexed detection of cancer marker proteins with a single nanowire. The synthesis of structurally and electronically uniform ultralong SiNWs may open up new opportunities for integrated nanoelectronics and could serve as unique building blocks linking integrated structures from the nanometer through millimeter length scales.