VLS growth of doped Si-microprobe arrays using varying PH3 flow with a fixed flow of Si2H6 at low temperature

Vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) growth, using Si₂H₆ as the gas source of Si, can be used to realize intrinsic Si microprobe arrays, which could be doped by diffusion process (at 1100degC) after VLS growth. But in this work we have demonstrated that by incorporating in-situ doping using the gas source of Si₂H₆ and PH₃ with VLS growth process, doped n-Si microprobes can be realized directly at a temperature (around 700degC) lower than that required at diffusion process. Here we report the realization of n-Si microprobe arrays at low temperature by using Au-catalyzed selective VLS growth using varying flow of PH₃ with a fixed flow of Si₂H₆. The effects of PH₃ flow rates on the physical and electrical properties of these n-Si microprobes, under the condition of a fixed amount of Si₂H₆ flow, have been investigated in detail.