Electroless deposition of gold on silicon and its potential applications: review

Abstract

Metal-semiconductor hybrid structures are important in a number of technologies such as sensors, catalysis, integrated circuits and more broadly in nano-and microsystem technologies. Electroless deposition, in this case, galvanic displacement process, is a simple way to develop such metal-semiconductor hybrid systems. In this review, we will first briefly discuss on the electroless deposition of gold nanoparticles and then look into the details of galvanic displacement of gold on silicon. From the fundamental aspects of galvanic displacement of gold on silicon, we will see how the experimental parameters such as deposition time, silicon surface, influence of light/laser during deposition, etc. affect the gold morphology on silicon. We will then explore the potential applications of such hybrid structures, especially its sensoric and catalytic properties.

Plasmonic biosensors fabricated by galvanic displacement reactions for monitoring biomolecular interactions in real time

“…Moreover, longer gold nanorods are randomly dispersed over the whole surface. The growth of similar gold nanostructures on silicon by galvanic displacement reactions was already reported [16,38,39]. The gold nanostructures were exclusively located on the top surface of the porous silicon layer and no gold could be observed in the pores by inspecting cross-sectional SEMs.…”

“…For example, in order to promote the growth of gold nanoparticles or thin layers of gold on silicon oxide surfaces, potassium tetrachloroaurate (III) (KAuCl 4 ) is offered in solution which also contains a certain percentage of hydrofluoric acid (HF). The parameters of the reaction, the influence of the template orientation, and the proposed reaction mechanism have been nicely reviewed by Lahiri and Kobayashi in 2016 [16]. Similar surfaces may be fabricated by spontaneous galvanic displacement of gold cations on hydrogenated silicon.…”

Role of Substrate in Au Nanoparticle Decoration by Electroless Deposition

“…This combined effect could maintain a fairly constant rate of the deposition process. On the Si substrate, the Au ELD also proceeds with a local cell mechanism, through the injection of a hole in the valence band per each reduced Au atom, leading to a concomitant Si oxidation [23,42]. Nonetheless, some effects of the reducing agent mediated by the substrate cannot be discharged at The effectiveness of the reaction is justified by the standard redox potential of the Au + /Au species (1.83 eV vs. SHE) [40] with respect to the position of the Fermi level of Ni (5.04 eV) [41].…”

Optimal Conditions for the Deposition of Gold Nanofilms on a Silicon by Galvanic Replacement Method

“…[12][13][14]. The deposition method and the control of morphology of deposited gold nanoparticles and nanofilms are known to be urgent tasks [15]. Thus, widely studied physico-chemical methods of deposition are carried out mainly in aqueous solutions, in which besides the main process of metal reduction, there are side processes, in particular the release of hydrogen in the cathode regions and the decomposition of the substrate on which the particles or films are deposited.…”

“…In contrast, utilizing the galvanic repalcement in the medium of organic aprotic solvents, e.g. DMSO can prevent the occurrence of these disadvantages, as it was shown in [15,16].…”