Recent progress in patterned silicon nanowire arrays: fabrication, properties and applications

Currently there is great interest in patterned silicon nanowire arrays and applications. The accurately controlled fabrication of patterned silicon nanowire arrays with the desirable axial crystallographic orientation using simpler and quicker ways is very desirable and of great importance to material synthesis and future nanoscale optoelectronic devices that employ silicon. The recent advances in manipulating patterned silicon nanowire arrays and patents are reviewed with a focus on the progress of nanowire fabrication and applications.