CHARACTERISTICS OF SILICON OXIDE CLUSTERS AND THEIR ROLES IN SILICON NANOWIRE GROWTH

The equilibrium structures and the reactivities of medium sized silicon oxide clusters have been studied by using quantum mechanical calculations and frontier orbital theory. Further explorations on growth mechanism of silicon oxide assisted synthesis of silicon nanowire have been made. It is concluded that silicon oxide clusters containing more silicon atoms and silicon oxide clusters having stoichiometry similar to SiO play important roles in necleation and in silicon nanowire growth.