Formation of nanoflowers: Au and Ni silicide cores surrounded by SiO_x branches

• Feitao Li,
• Siyao Wan,
• Dong Wang and
• Peter Schaaf

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 133–140, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.14

• This work reports the formation of nanoflowers after annealing of Au/Ni bilayers deposited on SiO2/Si substrates. The cores of the nanoflowers consist of segregated Ni silicide and Au parts and are surrounded by SiOx branches. The SiO2 decomposition is activated at 1050 °C in a reducing atmosphere, and

• to the strong ability of Au to enhance SiO2 decomposition, and nanoflowers with less difference in their branches can be observed across the whole sample. Keywords: Au/Ni bilayers; dewetting; vapor–liquid–solid; SiO2 decomposition; SiOx nanowires; Introduction Substantial efforts have been devoted

• three Au/Ni layer thickness ratios (15 nm/5 nm, 10 nm/10 nm, and 5 nm/15 nm, denoted 15Au5Ni, 10Au10Ni, and 5Au15Ni, respectively) deposited onto SiO2 (300 nm)/Si substrates. Au enhances the SiO2 decomposition rate stronger than Ni, leading to denser decomposition cavities observed in samples with