GaN Nanorods Catalyzed with Mo: Effect of Ammoniating Time on Microstructure, Morphology, and Optical Properties

Abstract

GaN nanorods have been successfully grown on Si (111) substrates by magnetron sputtering through ammoniating Ga2O3 thin films catalyzed with Mo. The influence of the ammoniating time on the growth of GaN nanorods was analyzed, in particular, by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometer, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and photoluminescence (PL) spectrum. The results demonstrate that the GaN nanorods are single crystal with hexagonal wurtzite structure, which have high crystalline quality. The GaN nanorods after ammoniation at 1223 K (950 °C) for 20 minutes have good emission properties and the highest crystalline quality with 100- to 200-nm diameter and several-micron length. The growth direction of these nanorods is along the orientation of (100) crystal plane. A small red shift occurs because of the band-gap change caused by the tensile stress of the one-dimensional GaN nanorods along the axial direction.