Simulated growth of GaAs nanowires: Catalytic and self-catalyzed growth

Abstract

The kinetic lattice Monte Carlo model of GaAs nanowire growth by the vapor-liquid-crystal mechanism is suggested. The catalytic and self-catalyzed growth of nanowires on the GaAs (111)B surface is simulated. The dependence of the morphology of the growing nanowires on the growth parameters is demonstrated. Upon self-catalyzed growth with gallium drops serving as the growth catalyst, the growth rate of the nanowires linearly depends on the arsenic flow in a wide range of arsenic flow rates. The decreasing dependence of the self-catalyzed growth rate of the nanowires on the initial gallium drop diameter is less steep, and the optimal growth temperature is higher than that for catalytic growth. It is shown that self-catalyzed growth is more sensitive to the ratio between the gallium and arsenic flow rates than catalytic growth.