| dc.description.abstract | In this study, we reported a novel and room-temperature approach combining the polystyrene nanosphere lithography and metal-assisted chemical etching, and we successfully fabricate vertically-aligned, large-area and well-ordered silicon nanocone arrays on (001)Si substrate by the low cost, facile and one-step metal-assisted chemical process. The morphology and height of Si nanocones can be readily controlled by adjusting the concentrations of HF, H2O2, C2H5OH and the etching time. The obtained high-aspect-ratio Si nanocone arrays have superhydrophobic characteristics with water contact angle higher then 150°. Subsequently, the nickel silicide nanocone arrays were fabricated by sputter thin-film deposition and heat treatment processes. From SEM, TEM, SAED analysis indicated the silicon nanocone structure and NiSi2/Si nanocones are highly collimated and single crystalline.
The NiSi2/Si nanocone structure, owing to their highly-ordered arrangement, sharp tips, single-crystalline structure, and low effective work function, exhibit a very low turn-on field and excellent field-emission properties. The obtained results will present the exciting prospects that the new approach would offer potential applications in constructing well-ordered arrays of high-efficiency cone-like in silicide-based field emitters. | en_US |