Effects of bubbles on manufacturing gold dendrites and silicon nanowires through the fluoride-assisted galvanic replacement reaction

Abstract The fluoride-assisted galvanic replacement reaction is a conventional method for fabricating metallic dendrites on silicon wafers. However, whether bubbles affect manufacturing metallic dendrites is unclear. This study investigated the effects of bubbles on manufacturing Au dendrites and silicon nanowires through metal-assisted chemical etching. The results of manufacture under three conditions (standard, shaking, and vacuum conditions) were compared. Synchronous growth of Au dendrites and silicon nanowires were observed on the silicon wafers. The Au dendrite deposition rate was higher than the silicon etching rate. Compared with the standard condition, the vacuum condition increased the synthesis rates of Au dendrites and silicon nanowires by 1.1 and 0.2 μm/min, respectively. Therefore, the elimination of bubbles by vacuum can considerably accelerate manufacturing Au dendrites and silicon nanowires.