Spatioselective Growth on Homogenous Semiconductor Substrates by Surface State Modulation

Nanofabrication schemes usually suffer challenges in direct growth on complex nanostructured substrates. We provide a new technology that allows for the convenient, selective growth of complex nanostructures directly on three-dimensional (3D) homogeneous semiconductor substrates. The nature of the selectivity is derived from surface states modulated electrochemical deposition. Metals, metal oxides, and compound semiconductor structures can be prepared with high fidelity over a wide scale range from tens of nanometers to hundreds of microns. The utility of the process for photoelectrochemical applications is demonstrated by selectively decorating the sidewalls and tips of silicon microwires with cuprous oxide and cobalt oxides catalysts, respectively. Our findings indicate a new selective fabrication concept applied for homogeneous 3D semiconductor substrates, which is of high promise in community of photoelectronics, photoelectrochemistry, photonics, microelectronics, etc.