Facile Fabrication of Silicon Nanotube Arrays and Their Application in Lithium-Ion Batteries

In this study, the authors report for the first time a wafer‐scale method for fabricating vertical‐aligned silicon nanotubes (SiNTs) on a silicon substrate using a combination of nanoimprint lithography (NIL) and metal‐assisted chemical etching (MaCE) processes. The structural properties and adhesion strength characteristics of the prepared SiNTs are investigated via field emission scanning electron microscope (FE‐SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) analysis, and adhesion test. And, the authors successfully demonstrate the feasibility of using the fabricated SiNTs in a Li‐ion battery (LIB) anode, and their potential to enhance LIB technologies. In this work, the authors report a simple and cost‐effective approach to fabricate silicon nanotubes using a combination of nanoimprint lithography and etching processes. The silicon nanotube anode obtained from this method shows a significantly improved electrochemical cycling performance compared to the SiNWs‐based anode.