Electroless selective deposition of gold nano-array for silicon nanowires growth

Nanopatterns of gold clusters on a large surface of oriented Si(111) substrates, from the galvanic displacement of gold salt (via the spontaneous reduction of AuCl4 -), are demonstrated in this work. The Si substrate is patterned by Focused Ion Beam (FIB) prior to being dipped in a gold solution. Here, we show that these patterns lead to successful control of the position and size of gold clusters. Sequential patterning reveals a powerful maskless alternative to surface preparation prior to Si nanowire growth.