Crystalline core/shell Si/SiO2 nanotubes formed via interfacial stress imbalance

J Nanosci Nanotechnol. 2010 Sep;10(9):5583-6. doi: 10.1166/jnn.2010.2443.

Abstract

Crystalline core/shell Si/SiO2 nanotubes (NTs) with outer diameters of 130-220 nm and lengths of approximately 1 microm have been synthesized using thermal evaporation. High resolution scanning electron microscopy reveals that the NT formation stems from the intrinsic interfacial stress imbalance in the strained Si/SiO2 bilayered film, consequently leading to NTs with different orifice levels. The NT diameters depend strongly on the bilayer film thicknesses and crystal orientations of the Si and SiO2 layers. A modified Timoshenko formula is derived to calculate the dependence of the tube diameter on the bilayer film thickness. The obtained results are consistent well with experimental data.