Platinum passivation of self-assembled erbium disilicide nanowire arrays on Si(001)

Self-assembled ErSi2-x nanowires were grown on Si(001) substrates with an average nanowire width of 2.8 nm. Submonolayer coverage of platinum was deposited on the Si(001) surface post ErSi2-x growth. Scanning tunneling microscopy and reactive ion etching showed that platinum preferentially deposited on the nanowire surface versus the Si surface. Reactive ion etching of ErSi2-x nanowires with and without platinum on the surface demonstrated that platinum acted as a more resistant etch mask than ErSi2-x. Pt/ErSi2-x nanowires are air stable whereas ErSi2-x nanowires decompose after exposure to ambient for five weeks.