Author(s): Ricardo Jaracuaro
Mentor(s): Samuel Tobler, Wendy Schatzberg
Institution UTech
This study investigates the optimal conditions for depositing gold nanoparticles onto a silicon N-type surface maintained at 900°C within a low-pressure vacuum chamber to reduce contamination. The silicon is carefully sliced into 3 mm x 15 mm samples. The silicon surface is verified with a disappearing filament optical pyrometer. To avoid further contamination, the sample is heated to 1200°C three times for 5 seconds with 5 minutes of rest in between flashes. A thin 20 cm gold wire, wrapped around a coil for efficient heat conduction, is heated with 8.5 amps of electrical current to facilitate nanoparticle deposition. By manipulating the heating duration in minute increments, we aim to determine the effect of time on gold nanoparticle deposition efficiency. We hypothesize that increasing the heating time will result in greater nanoparticle deposition as more evaporated gold reaches the silicon surface. Data was analyzed to assess the correlation between heating time and the amount of gold deposited, helping identify the optimal duration for effective nanoparticle coverage on the silicon substrate.