The reverse micelle method was used for the reduction of a tin (Sn) salt solution to produce metallic Sn nanoparticles ranging from 85 nm to 140 nm in diameter The reverse micellar system used in this process was hexane-butanol cetyl trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) The diameters of the Sn nanoparticles were proportional to the concentration of the aqueous Sn salt solution Thus the size of the Sn nanoparticles can easily be controlled enabling a simple reproducible mechanism for the growth of silicon nanowires (SiNWs) using plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) Both the Sn nano particles and silicon nanowires were characterised using field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE SEM) Further characterisations of the SiNW s were made using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Raman spectroscopy In addition dynamic light scattering (DES) was used to investigate particle size distributions This procedure demonstrates an economical route for manufacturing reproducible silicon nanowires using fine-tuned Sn nanoparticles for possible solar cell applications (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc All rights reserved