Patent ID: 8652944

Claim:
A method of fabricating semiconductor nanowires ( 5 ) on a substrate ( 1 ) including a metallic oxide layer ( 2 ), said semiconductor nanowires ( 5 ) extending on the surface of said substrate ( 1 ), comprising the following steps: a) exposing the metallic oxide layer ( 2 ) to a hydrogen plasma ( 11 ) of power P for a duration t suitable for reducing the layer ( 2 ) and for forming metallic nanodrops ( 3 ) of radius (Rm) on the surface of the metallic oxide layer ( 2 ); b) low temperature plasma-assisted deposition of a thin layer ( 4 ) of a semiconductor material on the metallic oxide layer ( 2 ) including the metallic nanodrops ( 3 ), said thin layer ( 4 ) having a thickness (Ha) suitable for covering the metallic nanodrops ( 3 ); and c) thermal annealing under vacuum at a temperature T higher than or equal to the melting temperature of the metallic nanodrops ( 3 ) so as to activate lateral growth of semiconductor nanowires ( 5 ) by catalysis of the semiconductor material deposited as a thin layer ( 4 ) from the metallic nanodrops ( 3 ) said lateral growth of said semiconductor nanowires ( 5 ) extending on the surface of said substrate ( 1 ) and being guided along the surface of the substrate, wherein the method includes a step of forming a guide prior to the thermal annealing step c), the lateral growth of the semiconductor nanowires ( 5 ) being guided along said guide along a predefined path and wherein forming the guide includes forming a channel ( 21 ) of semiconductor material, said channel forming said guide.