page_title: Vapor–liquid–solid method
section_title: Historical background
hierarchical_section_title: Vapor–liquid–solid method / Historical background
caption_attribution_description: English: Gold (Au) particle catalyzed CDV growth of Si nanowires.
context_page_description: The vapor–liquid–solid method is a mechanism for the growth of one-dimensional structures, such as nanowires, from chemical vapor deposition. The growth of a crystal through direct adsorption of a gas phase on to a solid surface is generally very slow. The VLS mechanism circumvents this by introducing a catalytic liquid alloy phase which can rapidly adsorb a vapor to supersaturation levels, and from which crystal growth can subsequently occur from nucleated seeds at the liquid–solid interface. The physical characteristics of nanowires grown in this manner depend, in a controllable way, upon the size and physical properties of the liquid alloy.
context_section_description: The VLS mechanism was proposed in 1964 as an explanation for silicon whisker growth from the gas phase in the presence of a liquid gold droplet placed upon a silicon substrate. The explanation was motivated by the absence of axial screw dislocations in the whiskers (which in themselves are a growth mechanism), the requirement of the gold droplet for growth, and the presence of the droplet at the tip of the whisker during the entire growth process.
caption: Figure 2: CVD Growth of Si nanowires using Au particle catalysts
exif: {}