A nano-silicon thread with a diameter of 1/50,000 of a hair was recently fresh out from the research in the City University of Hong Kong. The result of the scientific research, the world finest nano-silicon thread has already been published in the internationally renowned magazine, the Science, being used as a front cover.
As learned, this is the first time that the Science magazine introduced in the form of a front cover the achievements from China's inland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan in nano-meter science and technology. Up to now, the result has already applied for the patent right in the USA.
Prof. ST Lee, in charge of the research center for the super-diamond and advanced films with the City University of Hong Kong said that they succeeded in bringing out the minute nano-thread having a thickness of 1/50,000 of a human hair. It is done by a new method to "assist the growth with an oxide" when carrying out the research.
"The result can be applied to most of the semi-conductor nano-threads." It can be expected that the nano-silicon thread will pioneer a development in the field of an utterly new science. It will help open up a path of application in the aspect of electronics and photo-electronics since silicon is a kind of widely used materials in electronic industry, said Prof. Lee May 6 in an interview.
As introduced, in the nanometer research the research group discovered for the first time that hydrogen can help clean and stabilize the surface of nano-silicon thread, making its stability to be greatly over the normal silicon, thereby providing conditions for turning out nano-appliances. The surface configuration of a nano-silicon thread has for the first time been obtained by using the microscopic technology with a scanning tube of high resolving power. This has helped greatly the recognition by scientists of the surface of the nanometer silicon thread and also laid a solid foundation for the study of the nanometer thread. Because the thickness of a silicon-thread can affect the width of the forbidden band and so the diameter of a nanometer can help regulate and control the optical waves, thereby providing the probability of a luminous diode or laser. It has brought to light a new method for a mass-production of high quality nano-silicon thread.
Prof. ST Lee holds that the discovery of the stability on a nanometer thread surface and the quantum bigness effect has indicated a bright future for the application of the nano-silicon thread in the field of electronics and photo-electronics. The research achievement has brought to us a great opportunity in the research for an application of nano-sci-technology as with its thickness and the production of nanometer cells, thereby having delivered an important page in the progress of nanometer science and technology.
Starting from 1997, the Super-diamond and Advanced Films Center of the City University of Hong Kong has been engaged in the research of nano-silicon thread. In the field of nanometer science they've delivered more than 100 scientific theses and 4 patent rights recommended by the USA of which 4 articles have been published in the Science and Nature magazine.
Prof. ST Lee said, from now on they'll focus their nano-tech research on the following three aspects: controlling the property of the nano-silicon thread, the superficial features of the property and characterization of the nano-thread and the exploration and development in the application of nano-silicon thread.
(People?s Daily May 8, 2003)
