Abstract
AbstractThe recent discovery of the one‐atom‐thick, two‐dimensional graphene layers with exciting properties including superb optical transparency and high mechanical robustness has stimulated extensive research interest for use as an alternative nanowires (NWs) growth platform for applications in next generation, flexible, stretchable, and printable electronic and optoelectronic devices. When combined with the exceptional capabilities of semiconductor NWs including improved light absorption, reduced optical reflectance, enhanced carrier collection, and fast response, the performance of optoelectronic devices could be significantly improved in novel high‐performance, flexible nanodevices. However, the growth of semiconductor NWs on 2D graphene layers is highly challenging owing to the absence of surface dangling bonds on graphene. Intriguingly, the last decade has witnessed a flurry of research activity on the growth of III‐V semiconductor NWs on graphene. In this review, we highlight the significant advancements that have been made in circumventing this challenge to realize the growth of III‐V semiconductor NWs on graphene. We then summarize the recent progress made in the development of graphene‐based NWs devices including photodetectors and solar cells. Finally, a brief conclusion and outlook of the way forward in the growth of semiconductor NWs on graphene is presented.
Highlights
Several growth techniques are being utilized for the growth of III-V Semiconductor NWs on graphene including molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) or metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) and chemical beam epitaxy (CBE)
A novel solar cell architecture employing a dense array of MOCVD grown, vertically oriented, axial heterostructured InGaAs/InAs NWs with radial p–n junctions and in situ inorganic passivation layers, monolithically grown directly by van der Waals epitaxy (vdWE) on graphene films has been explicated by Mohseni et al.[71]
We have discussed the challenges and recent progress made in the growth of semiconductor NWs on graphene while highlighting the various growth strategies that have been successfully used to promote the growth of vertically aligned NWs
Summary
Over the past few decades, semiconducting nanowires (NWs) have emerged as the candidate of choice for the fabrication of generation high-performance and high sensitivity nanodevices including solar cells,[1] transistors,[2] light emitting diodes,[3] detectors,[4] and other exciting applications such as majorana fermions[5] due to their unique properties including improved light absorption,[6] reduced optical reflectance,[7] enhanced carrier collection,[8] longer diffusion length and lifetime of minority carriers,[9] and fast response[10] relative to conventional planar bulk geometry and epitaxial growth insensitive to lattice matching requirement due to their small footprint which enables elastic strain relaxation.[11,12] NWs are commonly fabricated on Silicon and conventional III-V substrate for several years, the recent discovery of graphene sheets in 2004[13] has stimulated extensive research interest as an alternative platform for NWs growth. This could largely be associated with the following[27]: (i) the ability of NWs to accommodate much more lattice mismatch than thin films, due to very efficient elastic relaxation at the lateral free surface,[12] (ii) the small lateral footprint of NWs enables epitaxial growth due to their relatively smaller lateral dimension compared to the grain size of the various A, B, or C stack of graphene layers of graphite (including few layer graphene) at the surface.[33] (iii) the preferential growth of NWs vertically along the [111]/[0001] crystallographic direction for cubic/hexagonal crystal, respectively.[34] NWs nucleation in the cubic/hexagonal phase occurs on the (111)/(0001) plane such that the NWs adopt the same hexagonal symmetry as the (0002)-oriented graphitic surface. It is hoped that this review would facilitate an increase in NWs-based graphene device applications
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