grown for a longer time five hours due to the long growth duration the grown wires were very long and intermingled the limitation on size is time dependant but not process dependant fig4 shows nanowires with different thicknesses fig5 shows a transmission electron micrograph of silicon nanowires with diameters in single digit nanometer scale these fibers were grown with h 2 n 2 ratio of 0 0075 pressure of 50 torr and 1000 w of microwave power the elemental composition of the fibrous structures was determined using energy dispersive spectroscopy eds germanium fibers can be grown using the above technique by using either germanium substrate or using germane in the vapor phase the gas phase will preferably consist of hydrogen with or without nitrogen to result in the formation of germane a gaseous source of germanium german will be catalytically decomposed on the gallium substrate resulting in accelerated dissolution of germanium into the gallium melt nitrogen can also be dissolved into gallium melt but at relatively higher temperatures than above i e above u02dc 600 u00b0 c at these temperatures suing gallium droplets exposed to an atomic nitrogen source such as plasma one can achieve nitrogen saturated gallium melts these nitrogen saturated gallium melts will form gallium nitride either in the whisker or nanowire format using a similar setup as that used for example 1 one can expose the gallium droplet to nitrogen and hydrogen plasma at relatively higher temperature i e u02dc 600 u00b0 c to achieve the dissolution of both nitrogen and silicon into the gallium droplet the resulting silicon nitride whiskers or nanowires can be adjusted in diameter by varying the size of the gallium droplet the foregoing detailed description is given primarily for clearness of.