Homo-endotaxial one-dimensional Si nanostructuresThis manuscript has been authored by UT-Battelle, LLC under contract no. DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the U.S. Department of Energy. The U.S. Government is authorized to reproduce and distribute reprints for Government purposes notwithstanding any copyright notation hereon. The Department of Energy will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan (http://energy.gov/downloads/doe-pu

One-dimensional (1D) nanostructures are highly sought after, both for their novel electronic properties as well as for their improved functionality. However, due to their nanoscale dimensions, these properties are significantly affected by the environment in which they are embedded. In this paper, we report on the creation of 1D homo-endotaxial Si nanostructures, i.e. 1D Si nanostructures with a lattice structure that is uniquely different from the Si diamond lattice in which they are embedded. We use scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy, density functional theory, and conductive atomic force microscopy to elucidate their formation and properties. Depending on kinetic constraints during growth, they can be prepared as endotaxial 1D Si nanostructures completely embedded in crystalline Si, or underneath a stripe of amorphous Si containing a large concentration of Bi atoms. These homo-endotaxial 1D Si nanostructures have the potential to be useful components in nanoelectronic devices based on the technologically mature Si platform. Homo-endotaxial 1D Si nanostructure with a higher conductance than the surrounding area.