Wafer-scale synthesis of single-crystal zigzag silicon nanowire arrays with controlled turning angles

Silicon nanowires (SiNWs) having curved structures may have unique advantages in device fabrication. However, no methods are available to prepare curved SiNWs controllably. In this work, we report the preparation of three types of single-crystal SiNWs with various turning angles via metal-assisted chemical etching using (111)-oriented silicon wafers near room temperature. The zigzag SiNWs are single crystals and can be p- or n-doped using corresponding Si wafer as substrate. The controlled growth direction is attributed to the preferred movement of Ag nanoparticles along 001 and other directions in Si wafer. Our results demonstrate that metal-assisted chemical etching may be a viable approach to fabricate SiNWs with desired turning angles by utilizing the various crystalline directions in a Si wafer.