Nonequilibrium processes for generating silicon nanostructures in single-crystalline silicon
The possibility of modifying existing materials through technology has become the recipe for preparation of advanced materials. Nonequilibrium processing of silicon through MeV ion irradiation will be shown here to yield interesting properties. We propose localization of vibrational energy following an ion irradiation process and their transport (nonlinear transport of energy) through linear chains of a single-crystalline lattice. The localization of energy can involve 34 atoms, and, hence, nanometer-sized entities evolve, distinguishable from the remaining periodic lattice owing to their unique interatomic distances. The energy required to produce these structures is supplied by a single high-energy heavy ion, incident normal to a suitable crystal face so as to lose energy by the electronic energy loss mechanism. These entities can be trapped at a desired location that leads to silicon nanostructures with modified band-gaps.