Growth Of Nanowires Research Articles

Zincblende InAsxP1-x/InP Quantum Dot Nanowires for Telecom Wavelength Emission.

InAsxP1-x quantum dots (QDs) in InP nanowires (NWs) have been realized as a platform for emission at telecom wavelengths. These QDs are typically grown in NWs with the wurtzite crystal phase, but in this case, ultrathin diameters are required to achieve defect-free heterostructures, making the structures less robust. In this work, we demonstrate the growth of pure zincblende InAsxP1-x QDs in InP NWs, which enabled an increase in NW diameters to about 45 nm, achieved by employing Au-assisted vapor liquid solid growth in a chemical beam epitaxy system. We studied the growth of InP/InAsxP1-x heterostructures with different compositions to control the straight growth along the ⟨100⟩ direction and to tune the emission wavelength. Interestingly, we found that the growth mechanism for pure InAs QDs is different compared to that for InAsxP1-x alloy QDs. This allowed us to optimize different growth protocols to achieve straight growth of the final QD NWs. We successfully obtained the growth of InAsxP1-x QDs with a composition in the range of x = 0.24-1.00. By means of microphotoluminescence measurements, we demonstrate the tunability of the emission in dependence of the InAsxP1-x QD composition and morphology, remarkably observing an emission at the telecom O-band for a 10 nm thick QD with 80% of As content.

3D‐Printed Mullite‐Reinforced SiC‐Based Aerogel Composites

AbstractThere is a growing demand for thermal management materials in electronic fields. Aerogels have attracted interest due to their extremely low density and extraordinary thermal insulation properties. However, the application of aerogels is limited by high production costs and the requirement that aerogel structures not be load‐bearing. In this study, mullite‐reinforced SiC‐based aerogel composite (MR‐SiC AC) is prepared through 3D printing combined with in situ growth of SiC nanowires in post processing. The fabricated MR‐SiC AC not only has ultra‐low thermal conductivity (0.021 W K m−1) and high porosity (90.0%), but also a high Young's modulus (24.4 MPa) and high compressive strength (1.65 MPa), both exceeding the measurements of existing resilient aerogels by an order of magnitude. These properties make MR‐SiC AC an ideal solution for the precision thermal management of lightweight structures having complex geometry for functional devices.

In situ cell-scale probing nucleation, growth and evolution of CsPbBr3 nanowires by optical absorption spectroscopy

The growth kinetics of colloidal lead halide perovskite nanomaterials are an integral part of their applications, remains poorly understood due to complex nucleation processes and lack of in situ size monitoring method. Here we demonstrated that absorption spectra can be used to observe in situ growth processes of ultrathin CsPbBr3 nanowires in solution with reference to the effective mass infinite deep square potential well model. By means of this method, we have found that the ultrathin nanowires, fabricated by hot injection method, were firstly formed within one minute. Subsequently, they merge with each other into a thicker structure with increasing reaction time. We revealed that the nucleation, growth, and merging of the CsPbBr3 nanowires are determined by the acid concentration and ligand chain length. At lower acidity, the critical nucleation size of the nanowire is smaller, while the shorter the ligand chain length, the faster the merging among the nanowires. Moreover, the merging mode between nanowires changed with their nucleation size. This growth kinetics of CsPbBr3 nanowires provides a reference for optimizing the synthesis conditions to obtain the one-dimensional CsPbBr3 with desired size, thus enabling accurate control of the nanowire shape.

Catalyst-free MBE growth of PbSnTe nanowires with tunable aspect ratio.

Topological crystalline insulators (TCIs) are interesting for their topological surface states, which hold great promise for scattering-free transport channels and fault-tolerant quantum computing. A promising TCI is SnTe. However, Sn-vacancies form in SnTe, causing a high hole density, hindering topological transport from the surface being measured. This issue could be relieved by using nanowires with a high surface-to-volume ratio. Furthermore, SnTe can be alloyed with Pb reducing the Sn-vacancies while maintaining its topological phase. Here we present the catalyst-free growth of monocrystalline PbSnTe in molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). By the addition of a pre-deposition stage before the growth, we have control over the nucleation phase and thereby increase the nanowire yield. This facilitates tuning the nanowire aspect ratio by a factor of four by varying the growth parameters. These results allow us to grow specific morphologies for future transport experiments to probe the topological surface states in a Pb1-xSnxTe-based platform.

Controlled Self-Assembly of Nanoscale Superstructures in Phase-Change Ge-Sb-Te Nanowires.

Controlled growth of semiconductor nanowires with atomic precision offers the potential to tune the material properties for integration into scalable functional devices. Despite significant progress in understanding the nanowire growth mechanism, definitive control over atomic positions of its constituents, structure, and morphology via self-assembly remains challenging. Here, we demonstrate an exquisite control over synthesis of cation-ordered nanoscale superstructures in Ge-Sb-Te nanowires with the ability to deterministically vary the nanowire growth direction, crystal facets, and periodicity of cation ordering by tuning the relative precursor flux during synthesis. Furthermore, the role of anisotropy on material properties in cation-ordered nanowire superstructures is illustrated by fabricating phase-change memory (PCM) devices, which show significantly different growth direction dependent amorphization current density. This level of control in synthesizing chemically ordered nanoscale superstructures holds potential to precisely modulate fundamental material properties such as the electronic and thermal transport, which may have implications for PCM, thermoelectrics, and other nanoelectronic devices.

Controlled growth of CuO nanowires on Cu grid via thermal oxidation process with enhanced field electron emission properties

Controlled growth of CuO nanowires on Cu grid via thermal oxidation process with enhanced field electron emission properties

Highly uniform organic nanowire synaptic arrays with excellent performance for associative memory

Synaptic devices of optoelectronic nature, which combine light-detection and data-storage capabilities, hold significant promise in the realm of neuromorphic computing. They are especially beneficial for the processing of visual data and the execution of intricate cognitive functions akin to learning, memory retention, and logical reasoning. However, current research is mostly confined to the level of individual devices, with corresponding studies on synaptic arrays being relatively scarce. Type II heterojunctions are widely used in optoelectronics. Bandgap engineering enables efficient separation and trapping of photogenerated excitons in selected materials, reducing carrier recombination. This prolongs carrier retention in the channel, delaying photocurrent decay, crucial for artificial optoelectronic synapses. We designed an organic nanowire/perovskite Type II heterojunction where CsPbBr3 perovskite films and TIPS nanowires serve as the photosensitive and channel layers, respectively. The composite synaptic array was successfully fabricated by in-situ growth of TIPS nanowires on the surface of perovskite thin films. It was further used to fabricate a photonic synapse array that exhibits characteristic photocurrent and stable optical response. Achieving high-performance photonic synapses was facilitated by characteristics such as high mobility and high on/off ratios, stemming from the formation of complete single-crystal nanowires on the perovskite films. Exhibiting synaptic behaviors such as photo-induced enhancements and paired-pulse facilitation, the device enabled a visual sensing system with a 5 × 5 pixel array for simulating memory processes and restoring associative memories. A novel photocurrent model was established for understanding device characteristics. This work provides valuable insights for future utilization of composite organic nanowire arrays in simulating brain-like computations and realizing large-scale intelligent visual sensing systems.

Parameter modulation on p-type doping of AlGaN nanowires

The p-type doping process during the growth of AlGaN nanowires directly influences the optoelectronic properties of the related devices. However, research on the p-type ionization mechanism in AlxGa1-xN nanowires remains limited. In this work, we utilize first principles calculations to investigate p-type doping in AlxGa1-xN nanowires under different structural variables (Al component, doping element, doping site, and doping concentration). Our results demonstrate that p-type doping in AlxGa1-xN nanowires is an endothermic process, and increased dopant concentration leads to a decrease in system stability. Moreover, we found that dopant atoms are easier to substitute for Ga atoms than Al atoms. Among the three doping elements (Zn, Be and Mg), Zn exhibits the most challenging doping difficulty, while Be shows the easiest doping process, with Mg falling in between. Crystal Orbital Hamilton Population (COHP) and bond population calculations reveal the mechanism for the variation in doping structure stability. Doping induces a rearrangement of energy level orbitals, resulting in changes in the band gap. Specifically, the valence band exhibits an overall upward trend crossing the Fermi level, showing the p-type conductive properties. Notably, a significant decrease in electron density near Mg and Be leads to the formation of p-type conductive properties. The changes in hole density and effective mass further confirm the formation of p-type conductivity after doping. Additionally, structures with lower Al composition exhibit higher doping ionization degrees. This study is expected to provide a theoretical basis for the growth, preparation, and application of optoelectronic devices based on p-type AlGaN nanowires.

The growth and characterization of Au-catalyzed gallium oxide nanowires

AbstractGallium oxide is a powerful and versatile wide band gap semiconductor, which has been gaining scientific interest in recent years due to its applications in power electronics. In this work, the growth of β-gallium oxide (Ga2O3) nanowires has been achieved by the vapor–solid–liquid method on silicon wafer, fused quartz, and gallium oxide thin-film substrates. In a chamber purged of ambient atmosphere, pure gallium was heated to produce gallium vapor, which was then oxidized by minute oxygen impurities in the backing gas to form gallium oxide nanowires on a substrate, inside a vertical tube furnace. On the silicon wafer substrates, β-Ga2O3 nanowires were observed to grow in a specific crystallographic direction via transmission electron microscopy. The resulting nanowires were highly faceted and had a unique polyhedral structure on the gold catalyst ‘cap’ of the nanowire. Time of growth and oxygen-level studies were conducted on nanowires grown on various substrates. Graphical abstract

Regularity of capillarity droplets with obstacle

In this paper we study the regularity properties of Λ \Lambda -minimizers of the capillarity energy in a half space with the wet part constrained to be confined inside a given planar region. Applications to a model for nanowire growth are also provided.

Circumventing the ammonia-related growth suppression for obtaining regular GaN nanowires by HVPE

Selective area growth by hydride vapor phase epitaxy of GaN nanostructures with different shapes was investigated versus the deposition conditions including temperature and ammonia flux. Growth experiments were carried out on templates of GaN on sapphire masked with SiN x . We discuss two occurrences related to axial and radial growth of GaN nanowires. A growth suppression phenomenon was observed under certain conditions, which was circumvented by applying the cyclic growth mode. A theoretical model involving inhibiting species was developed to understand the growth suppression phenomenon on the masked substrates. Various morphologies of GaN nanocrystals were obtained by controlling the competition between the growth and blocking mechanisms as a function of the temperature and vapor phase composition. The optimal growth conditions were revealed for obtaining regular arrays of ∼5 μm long GaN nanowires.

Mid-infrared Imaging Using Strain-Relaxed Ge1-xSnx Alloys Grown on 20 nm Ge Nanowires.

Germanium-tin (Ge1-xSnx) semiconductors are a front-runner platform for compact mid-infrared devices due to their tunable narrow bandgap and compatibility with silicon processing. However, their large lattice parameter has been a major hurdle, limiting the quality of epitaxial layers grown on silicon or germanium substrates. Herein, we demonstrate that 20 nm Ge nanowires (NWs) act as effective compliant substrates to grow extended defect-free Ge1-xSnx alloys with a composition uniformity over several micrometers along the NW growth axis without significant buildup of the compressive strain. Ge/Ge1-xSnx core/shell NWs with Sn content spanning the 6-18 at. % range are achieved and processed into photoconductors exhibiting a high signal-to-noise ratio at room temperature with a cutoff wavelength in the 2.0-3.9 μm range. The processed NW devices are integrated in an uncooled imaging setup enabling the acquisition of high-quality images under both broadband and laser illuminations at 1550 and 2330 nm without the lock-in amplifier technique.

Incomplete monolayer regime and mixed regime of nanowire growth

Incomplete monolayer regime and mixed regime of nanowire growth

Indium Nitride Nanowires: Low Redox Potential Anodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Advanced lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are crucial to portable devices and electric vehicles. However, it is still challenging to further develop the current anodic materials such as graphite due to the intrinsic limited capacity and sluggish Li-ion diffusion. Indium nitride (InN), which is a new type of anodic material with low redox potential (<0.7V vs Li/Li+) and narrow bandgap (0.69eV), may serve as a new high-energy density anode material for LIBs. Here, the growth of 1D single crystalline InN nanowires is reported on Au-decorated carbon fibers (InN/Au-CFs) via chemical vapor deposition, possessing a high aspect ratio of 400. The binder-free Au-CFs with high conductivity can provide abundant sites and enhance binding force for the dense growth of InN nanowires, displaying shortened Li ion diffusion paths, high structural stability, and fast Li+ kinetics. The InN/Au-CFs can offer stable and high-rate Li delithiation/lithiation without Li deposition, and achieve a remarkable capacity of 632.5 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1 after 450 cycles and 416 mAh g-1 at a high rate of 30 A g-1. The InN nanowires as battery anodes shall hold substantial promise for fulfilling superior long-term cycling performance and high-rate capability for advanced LIBs.

Effective 1D/2D nanostructured S-scheme W18O49/g-C3N4 heterojunction photocatalyst fabrication for improved photocatalytic nitrogen fixation performance

The fundamental insights into the reaction mechanism, especially the electron transfer mechanism, are highly promising yet challenging for W18O49/g-C3N4 heterojunction catalysts during photocatalytic nitrogen fixation. Herein, the 1D/2D nanostructured S-scheme heterojunctions were designed by in situ growth of 1D W18O49 nanowires on 2D g-C3N4 nanosheets through solvothermal method using methanol as solvent. In situ XPS analysis revealed that electrons in the conduction band of W18O49 recombine with holes in the valence band of g-C3N4 under the conduction effect of internal electric field, band bending, and Coulombic attraction in the W18O49/g-C3N4 heterojunction. The photogenerated electrons are retained in g-C3N4, where the negative reduction potential of its conduction band enhances the activation of N2. As a result, the ammonia generation rate employing the optimal W18O49/g-C3N4 heterojunction is 64.8 μmol gcat−1 h−1, approximately double that of W18O49 alone and 2.3 times higher than that of g-C3N4. The enhanced activity and facile methodology make the current material exceedingly appealing for implementation in photocatalytic nitrogen fixation for the synthesis of ammonia.

Self-Competitive Growth of CsPbBr3 Planar Nanowire Array.

Semiconductor planar nanowire arrays (PNAs) are essential for achieving large-scale device integration. Direct heteroepitaxy of PNAs on a flat substrate is constrained by the mismatch in crystalline symmetry and lattice parameters between the substrate and epitaxial nanowires. This study presents a novel approach termed "self-competitive growth" for heteroepitaxy of CsPbBr3 PNAs on mica. The key to inducing the self-competitive growth of CsPbBr3 PNAs on mica involves restricting the nucleation of CsPbBr3 nanowires in a high-adsorption region, which is accomplished by overlaying graphite sheets on the mica surface. Theoretical calculations and experimental results demonstrate that CsPbBr3 nanowires oriented perpendicular to the boundary of the high-adsorption area exhibit greater competitiveness in intercepting the growth of nanowires in the other two directions, resulting in PNAs with a consistent orientation. Moreover, these PNAs exhibit low-threshold and stable amplified spontaneous emission under one-, two-, and three-photon excitation, indicating their potential for an integrated laser array.

Hole subband dispersions in a cylindrical Ge nanowire: exact results based on the axial Luttinger–Kohn Hamiltonian

Based on the Luttinger–Kohn Hamiltonian in the axial approximation, the transcendental equations determining the hole subband dispersions in a cylindrical Ge nanowire are analytically derived. These equations are more general than that derived using the spherical approximation, and are suitable to study the growth direction dependence of the subband dispersions. The axial approximation almost gives rise to the accurate low-energy subband dispersions for high-symmetry nanowire growth directions [001] and [111]. The perturbation correction from the non-axial term is negligible for these two directions. The lowest two subband dispersions can be regarded as two shifted parabolic curves with an energy gap at kz=0 for both growth directions [001] and [111]. At the position of the energy gap, the eigenstates for growth direction [111] are inverted in comparison with the normal eigenstates for growth direction [001]. A nanowire growth direction where the energy gap closes at kz=0 is predicted to exist between directions [001] and [111].

Revealing Seed-Mediated Structural Evolution of Copper-Silicide Nanostructures: Generating Structured Current Collectors for Rechargeable Batteries.

Metal silicide thin films and nanostructures typically employed in electronics have recently gained significant attention in battery technology, where they are used as active or inactive materials. However, unlike thin films, the science behind the evolution of silicide nanostructures, especially 1D nanowires (NWs), is a key missing aspect. Cux Siy nanostructures synthesized by solvent vapor growth technique are studied as a model system to gain insights into metal silicide formation. The temperature-dependent phase evolution of Cux Siy structures proceeds from Cu>Cu0.83 Si0.17 >Cu5 Si>Cu15 Si4 . The role of Cu diffusion kinetics on the morphological progression of Cu silicides is studied, revealing that the growth of 1D metal silicide NWs proceeds through an in situ formed, Cu seed-mediated, self-catalytic process. The different Cux Siy morphologies synthesized are utilized as structured current collectors for K-ion battery anodes. Sb deposited by thermal evaporation upon Cu15 Si4 tripod NWs and cube architectures exhibit reversible alloying capacities of 477.3 and 477.6 mAh g-1 at a C/5 rate. Furthermore, Sb deposited Cu15 Si4 tripod NWs anode tested in Li-ion and Na-ion batteries demonstrate reversible capacities of ≈518 and 495 mAh g-1 .

Rapid Growth of Niobium Oxide Nanowires by Joule Resistive Heating

Joule heating of niobium (Nb) metal wires by running a high electric current density through them has been used to grow Nb2O5 nanowires. The formation of a micrometric oxide layer on the Nb wires has also been observed. The size and density of the nanowires are related to the current values applied, as well as the thickness of the oxide layer formed. Characterization of both nanowires and oxide layer has been performed using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis, and micro-Raman spectroscopy. It has been observed that this method allows the growth of Nb2O5 nanowires in times as short as tens of seconds.

Growth of CuS nanowire on copper mesh for efficient solar-driven water evaporation and wastewater purification

This study proposed a multifunctional material, CuS nanowire, grown on a copper mesh (CM), for application in wastewater purification. CuS/CM could rapidly evaporate and collect water under solar irradiation. CuS nanowires were successfully synthesized on CM through a liquid–solid reaction at room temperature, followed by sulfidation. Water evaporation experiments conducted using meshes suspended in water to determine the most efficient configuration revealed that CuS/CM was the most efficient material. Owing to the localized surface plasmon resonance induced by oxygen vacancies, CuS/CM exhibited a high water evaporation rate (4.0523 kg·m-2h−1 @ 3 sun) and energy conversion efficiency (96.1 %) in Structure A with a vertical length of 4 cm under 3 sun irradiation. To evaluate its effectiveness in wastewater treatment, CuS/CM was used to evaporate and collect methylene blue (MB)-contaminated water at rates of 1.5747 and 0.8624 kg·m-2h−1. Furthermore, CuS/CM demonstrated photocatalytic activity during MB degradation. Under xenon lamp illumination for 6 h, CuS/CM exhibited a 73 % degradation efficiency for MB, indicating its photocatalytic properties. CuS/CM effectively purify dyeing wastewater due to their fast water evaporation rate and the photocatalytic capability of CuS, making them promising for wastewater treatment and desalination applications.