Abstract
Semiconductor nanowires are widely considered as the building blocks that revolutionized many areas of nanosciences and nanotechnologies. The unique features in nanowires, including high electron transport, excellent mechanical robustness, large surface area, and capability to engineer their intrinsic properties, enable new classes of nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS). Wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductors in the form of nanowires are a hot spot of research owing to the tremendous possibilities in NEMS, particularly for environmental monitoring and energy harvesting. This article presents a comprehensive overview of the recent progress on the growth, properties and applications of silicon carbide (SiC), group III‐nitrides, and diamond nanowires as the materials of choice for NEMS. It begins with a snapshot on material developments and fabrication technologies, covering both bottom‐up and top‐down approaches. A discussion on the mechanical, electrical, optical, and thermal properties is provided detailing the fundamental physics of WBG nanowires along with their potential for NEMS. A series of sensing and electronic devices particularly for environmental monitoring is reviewed, which further extend the capability in industrial applications. The article concludes with the merits and shortcomings of environmental monitoring applications based on these classes of nanowires, providing a roadmap for future development in this fast‐emerging research field.
Highlights
Rapid industrialization and negative impacts from human activities over the past decades have raised serious environmental concerns, such as increased water and air pollution, extreme temperature swings, and global warming
A key merit of this approach is the advancements in nanofabrication technologies along with the emergence of new classes of materials that have enabled the mass production of sensing devices, which are of low-cost but yet
The results revealed that straight and smooth gallium nitride (GaN) nanowires with the best elemental composition were achieved at the optimal growth temperature of 950 °C.[80]
Summary
Rapid industrialization and negative impacts from human activities over the past decades have raised serious environmental concerns, such as increased water and air pollution, extreme temperature swings, and global warming. Protecting and improving our environment have become more urgent today than ever before.[1,2] In this regard, considerable research efforts have been devoted to developing advanced materials and technologies, which aim to attain appropriate solutions for critical environmental challenges.[3,4] Among them, monitoring the environmental conditions and inspecting industrial processes using sensors and optoelectronics is an innovative method that can help in reducing harmful impacts and preventing catastrophic failures.[5,6,7,8,9,10,11] A key merit of this approach is the advancements in nanofabrication technologies along with the emergence of new classes of materials that have enabled the mass production of sensing devices, which are of low-cost but yet. On the basis of these observations, this article provides a comprehensive review of the research activities focusing on the use of WBG semiconductor nanowires of SiC, group III-nitrides, and diamond for environmental monitoring applications. The review paper concludes with an outlook on future opportunities and solutions to overcome the remaining challenges in the field of WBG semiconductor nanowire-based devices for environmental monitoring
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