In the present work, silicon nanowires were prepared by a thermal evaporation method. The evaporating source was a mixture of silicon and carbon nanopowders. Surface morphology, structural characteristics and emission properties of the silicon nanowires were investigated by several techniques. The results showed that the obtained products have the shape of nanowires with diameters ranging from 30 to 120 nm and lengths from 300 to 400 nm. The x-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns confirmed the presence of crystalline silicon. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) images revealed the core-shell structure of the wires. In the photoluminescence (PL) spectra recorded at room temperature, only a broad emission band peaking at about 650 nm was observed. In addition to the red emission, two other bands centered at around 455 nm and 510 nm appeared when measured at low temperatures. The origin and emission mechanism of these bands are discussed.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.