Local electrode atom probe analysis of silicon nanowires grown with an aluminum catalyst

Local electrode atom probe (LEAP) tomography of Al-catalyzed silicon nanowires synthesized by the vapor–liquid–solid method is presented. The concentration of Al within the Al-catalyzed nanowire was found to be 2 × 1020 cm−3, which is higher than the expected solubility limit for Al in Si at the nanowire growth temperature of 550 °C. Reconstructions of the Al contained within the nanowire indicate a denuded region adjacent to the Al catalyst/Si nanowire interface, while Al clusters are distributed throughout the rest of the silicon nanowire.