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Controllable light-induced conic structures in silicon nanowire arrays by metal-assisted chemical etching

Silicon nanowires (SiNWs) have long been considered a promising material due to their extraordinary electrical and optical properties. As a simple, highly efficient fabrication method for SiNWs, metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) has been intensively studied over recent years. However, effective control by modulation of simple parameters is still a challenging topic and some key questions still remain in the mechanistic processes. In this work, a novel method to manipulate SiNWs with a light-modulated MACE process has been systematically investigated. Conic structures consisting of inclined and clustered SiNWs can be generated and effectively modified by the incident light while new patterns such as ‘bamboo shoot’ arrays can also be formed under certain conditions. More importantly, detailed study has revealed a new top-down ‘diverting etching’ model of the conic structures in this process, different from the previously proposed ‘bending’ model. As a consequence of this mechanism, preferential lateral mass transport of silver particles occurs. Evidence suggests a relationship of this phenomenon to the inhomogeneous distribution of the light-induced electron–hole pairs beneath the etching front. Study on the morphological change and related mechanism will hopefully open new routes to understand and modulate the formation of SiNWs and other nanostructures.