A simple route to annihilate defects in silicon nanowires

Defects inside silicon nanowires (SiNW) could be significantly reduced by annealing the nanowires at 1100° C for 6 h. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) showed that stacking faults and twins were annihilated upon annealing. In particular, the tips of the nanowires demonstrated perfect lattices free of defects after annealing. Raman spectra also confirmed that the bulk specimen was almost defect-free. By using thermal annealing, defect-free silicon nanowires can be prepared in a simple and practical way, which holds promise for nanoelectronic applications.