Optical Properties of Silicon Nanowires Fabricated by Electroless Silver Deposition

Vertically aligned silicon nanowires are fabricated on silicon substrates by electroless silver deposition, and their optical properties are investigated. The diameter of the nanowires ranges from 100 to 500 nm and their length ranges from 30 to 100 ?m. Red photoluminescence appears at approximately 700 nm at room temperature. Its peak and intensity vary along the wire positions in Raman microscopy measurements. The photoluminescence intensity is high at the top of the wire. In this region, oxidation is enhanced and the Raman scattering spectra of the optical phonon mode tend to be broadened. The origin of the red photoluminescence is assumed to be defect states located at the interface between the core of the silicon nanowires and the surrounding silicon oxide.