The synthesis and structure of ultradispersed silicon powders

Silicon clusters of nanoscale sizes (10-100 nm) were produced in a silane jet under conditions of gas-phase CO2-laser synthesis. The composition, the sizes of particles, and the size variance of silicon powders have been investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy for different parameters of synthesis. The method of X-ray diffraction analysis has been applied to investigate the morphology of nanoclusters consisting of a crystalline core and an amorphous shell. Conditions for obtaining nanoparticles of required sizes and dispersion with a variable ratio of crystalline and amorphous components are determined.