Preparation and characterization of amorphous SiO2 nanowires

Amorphous SiO2 nanowires were prepared by heating Si powder and Au-coated Si(111) substrates for different times. The SiO2 nanowires were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results show that large amounts of amorphous SiO2 nanowires with a diameter of about 40nm were formed on the entire surface of the substrates. Au particles were observed at the tip of the SiO2 nanowires, which is consistent with the well-known vapor–liquid–solid (VLS) process. It is found that the annealing time affects the morphology of the products. Finally, the growth mechanism of the SiO2 nanowires was discussed.