Growth of Gold Dendritic Nanoforests on Titanium Nitride-coated Silicon Substrates

Summary

This study presents a feasible procedure for synthesizing gold dendritic nanoforests on titanium nitride/silicon substrates. The thickness of gold dendritic nanoforests increases linearly within 15 min of a synthesis reaction.

Abstract

In this study, a high-power impulse magnetron sputtering system is used to coat a flat and firm titanium nitride (TiN) film on silicon (Si) wafers, and a fluoride-assisted galvanic replacement reaction (FAGRR) is employed for the rapid and easy deposition of gold dendritic nanoforests (Au DNFs) on the TiN/Si substrates. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy patterns of TiN/Si and Au DNFs/TiN/Si samples validate that the synthesis process is accurately controlled. Under the reaction conditions in this study, the thickness of the Au DNFs increases linearly to 5.10 ± 0.20 µm within 15 min of the reaction. Therefore, the employed synthesis procedure is a simple and rapid approach for preparing Au DNFs/TiN/Si composites.

Introduction

Gold nanoparticles have characteristic optical properties and localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs), depending on the size and shape of the nanoparticles^1,2,3,4. Moreover, gold nanoparticles can significantly enhance plasmonic photocatalytic reactions⁵. Dendritic nanoforests stacked using gold nanoparticles have received considerable attention because of their noteworthy specific surface areas and robust LSPR enhancement^6,7,....

Protocol

1. Sample preparation

1. TiN substrate preparation using a high-power impulse magnetron sputtering system
   1. Cut a 4 inch n-type silicon wafer into 2 cm x 2 cm samples.
   2. Wash the samples using acetone, isopropanol, and deionized water.
   3. Dry them using an N₂ spray for 5 min.
   4. Place the washed Si samples in a sample holder and place the sample holder into a high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) chamber.
   5. Place a titanium t.......

Discussion

In this study, Au DNFs with multiple branch sizes were decorated on the surface of TiN/Si by using FAGRR. The deposition of the Au DNFs could be directly identified by a significant change in color. The thickness of the Au DNFs on TiN/Si increased to 5.10 ± 0.20 µm within 15 min, and this increase in thickness can be expressed using the following linear equation: y = 0.296t + 0.649, where the time varied from 1 to 15 min.

In FAGRR, the metal deposition is affected b.......

Materials

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Acetone	Dinhaw Enterprise Co. Ltd.,Taipei, Taiwan
Isopropanol	Echo Chemical Co. Ltd., Miaoli, Taiwan	TG-078-000000-75NL
Buffered Oxide Etch	Uni-onward Corp., Hsinchu, Taiwan	UR-BOE-1EA
Chloroauric Acid	Alfa Aesar., Heysham, United Kingdom	36400.03
N-Type Silicon Wafer	Summit-Tech Company, Hsinchu, Taiwan
High-Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering System (HiPIMS)	Melec GmbH, Germany		SPIK2000A
Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)	JEOL, Japan		JSM-7800F
Ion Sputter Coater	Hitachi, Japan		E-1030
X-Ray Diffractometer (XRD)	PANalytical, The Netherlands		X'Pert PRO MRD