Thesis presented November 20, 2008

Abstract:
We present here the growth of silicon nanowires in a nanoporous alumina template using the VLS method. We developed a process to realize nanoporous alumina directly on silicon. It allows a control over geometrical properties of alumina (pore diameter, periodicity, and thickness of the layer). The lateral organization is good even if improvements are still possible.
We also used several methods to deposit gold at the bottom of the pores. Pros and cons of each method are detailed and the objective (obtaining a gold catalyst) has been attained. These methods can also be used on bulk silicon.
Last, we successfully grew nanowires on bulk silicon and in the alumina pores. We studied some of their characteristics, particularly their structure. Alumina can thus be used to localize the nanowires and the guiding effect of the nanowires by the pores during the growth has been proved. This confined environment doesn't cause the number of defaults to increase significantly. A few preliminary measures of the conduction in nanowires have been made. The electrical contacts were very easy to set up because of the encapsulated geometry of the nanowires into the pores.

Keywords:
Nanowires, GISAXS, Silicon, Facets, Nanoporous Alumina, Crystallography, Growth VLS, Gold

On-line thesis.