Formation Mechanisms of InGaAs Nanowires Produced by a Solid-Source Two-Step Chemical Vapor Deposition

Abstract

The morphologies and microstructures of Au-catalyzed InGaAs nanowires (NWs) prepared by a two-step solid-source chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method were systematically investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The detailed structural characterization and statistical analysis reveal that two specific morphologies are dominant in InGaAs NWs, a zigzag surface morphology and a smooth surface morphology. The zigzag morphology results from the periodic existence of twining structures, and the smooth morphology results from a lack of twining structures. HRTEM images and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) indicate that the catalyst heads have two structures, Au4In and AuIn2, which produce InGaAs NWs in a cubic phase crystalline form. The growth mechanism of the InGaAs NWs begins with Au nanoparticles melting into small spheres. In atoms are diffused into the Au spheres to form an Au-In alloy. When the concentration of In inside the alloy reaches its saturation point, the In precipitate reacts with Ga and As atoms to form InGaAs at the interface between the catalyst and substrate. Once the InGaAs compound forms, additional precipitation and reactions only occur at the interface of the InGaAs and the catalyst. These results provide a fundamental understanding of the InGaAs NW growth process which is critical to the formation of high-quality InGaAs NWs for various device applications.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s11671-018-2685-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Thermodynamics Controlled Sharp Transformation from InP to GaP Nanowires via Introducing Trace Amount of Gallium

“…High-resolution TEM (HRTEM) image close to the Au droplet (see Fig. 4 e, f) shows that the droplet mainly consists of AuIn 2 with ZB phase [ 49 ]. Moreover, AuIn 2 and GaP nanowires present the same crystal orientation.…”

eview on the general technical approaches as an effective ways to fabricate inorganic nanomaterials

“…Most reports apply chemical vapor transport reactions in an experiential way to achieve their materials of interest in pure single crystal. the ZnO, InGaAs, SnS and MoS2 nanostructures are assisted selection offers a proper transport operator for specific materials of various substances classes [23][24][25][26] . Yet, the control amplitudes is still a challenge and it need more reconnaissance for producing inorganic nanostructures with high efficiency.…”