Self-assembly of spatially separated silicon structures by Si heteroepitaxy on Ni disilicide

A nonlithographic approach to produce self-assembled spatially separated Si structures for nanoelectronic applications was developed, employing the metal-induced silicon growth. Densely packed Si whiskers, 500-800 nm thick and up to 2500 nm long, were obtained by magnetron sputtering of Si on a 25 nm thick Ni prelayer at 575°C. The nucleation of the NiSi ₂ compound at the Ni-Si interface followed by the Si heteroepitaxy on the lattice-matched NiSi ₂ is suggested to be the driving force for the whisker formation.