The effect of Sn addition on GaAs nanowire grown by vapor–liquid–solid growth mechanism

Abstract

Impurity addition is a crucial aspect for III–V nanowire growth. In this study, we demonstrated the effect of the Sn addition on GaAs nanowire growth by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. With increasing the tetraethyltin flow rate, the nanowire axial growth was suppressed while the nanowire lateral growth was promoted, as well as planar defects were increased. Systematic electron microscopy characterizations suggested that the Sn addition tuned the catalyst composition, changed the vapor–solid–liquid surfaces energies and hindered the Ga atoms diffusion on nanowire sidewalls, which is responsible for the observed changes in morphology and structural quality of grown GaAs nanowires. This study contributes to understanding the role of impurity dopants on III–V nanowires growth, which will be of benefit for the design and fabrication of future nanowire-based devices.