Synthesis of aligned gallium nitride nanowire quasi-arrays

Self-aligned GaN nanowire quasi-arrays were synthesized on MgO crystal through a simple gas reaction method. They were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). FE-SEMimages showed that the product consisted of quasi-arrays of nanowires. XRD, EDX and HRTEM indicated that the nanowires were wurtzite GaN single crystals. Received: 19 June 2000 / Accepted: 21 June 2000 / Published online: 9 August 2000     

The synthesis of highly oriented GaN nanowire arrays

Highly oriented GaN nanowire arrays have been achieved by the catalytic reaction of gallium with ammonium. The resulting materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and selected-area electron diffraction (SAED). SEM images show that the resulting materials are nanowire arrays with a uniform length of about 10 μm. XRD, EDS, TEM and SAED indicate that the nanowire arrays are single-crystal hexagonal GaN with a wurtzite structure. They have diameters of 10 to 20 nm. Received: 2 October 2002 / Accepted: 7 October 2002 / Published online: 17 December 2002 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. E-mail: wwwangjc@sina.com     

Room temperature ultralow threshold GaN nanowire polariton laser

We report ultralow threshold polariton lasing from a single GaN nanowire strongly coupled to a large-area dielectric microcavity. The threshold carrier density is 3 orders of magnitude lower than that of photon lasing observed in the same device, and 2 orders of magnitude lower than any existing room-temperature polariton devices. Spectral, polarization, and coherence properties of the emission were measured to confirm polariton lasing.     

Quasi-horizontal GaN nanowire array network grown by sublimation sandwich technique

Quasi-horizontal GaN nanowire array network has been grown on Au-film-coated MgO substrates via a sublimation sandwich technique. These GaN nanowire arrays principally grew along two directions which were perpendicular to each other and nearly parallel to the substrate, forming a regular network. The formation of the nanowire network was a hetero-epitaxial vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) process assisted by Au catalysts and was dependent on the substrates. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the nanowires were single-crystalline wurtzite GaN. Raman scattering spectrum of the nanowire network presented some new features.     

One step synthesis of vertically aligned ZnO nanowire arrays with tunable length

Length control of ZnO nanowire arrays is a valuable concern for both fundamental research and future device application. In this article, vertically aligned ZnO nanowire arrays were synthesized by a seed layer catalyzed vapor phase transport method in a single experiment cycle. The length of these nanowire arrays exhibits a quasi-continuous evolution. It was found that the type and flow rate of carrier gas have a significant influence on the length modulation of ZnO arrays along the tube. A feasible route to tune the length of ZnO nanowire arrays from several micrometers to nearly 100 μm could be achieved by adjusting proper deposition position and carrier gas.     

Raman spectroscopy and field electron emission properties of aligned silicon nanowire arrays

Arrays of aligned silicon nanowire (SiNW) were synthesized on a silicon (1 0 0) substrate by self-assembling electroless nanoelectrochemistry. Compared with that of bulk crystal silicon, the first-order Raman peak of the silver cap-removed SiNW arrays shows a downshift and asymmetric broadening due to the phonon quantum confinement effects, and intensity enhancement. Field electron emission from the SiNWs was also investigated. The turn-on field was found to be about 12 V/μm at a current density of 0.01 mA/cm². These highly densified and ordered SiNW arrays can be expected to have favorable applications in vacuum electronic or optoelectronic devices.     

First-order Raman scattering in a free-standing GaN nanowire with ring geometry

We have investigated one phonon resonant Raman scattering in GaN nanowires (NWs) with ring geometry. We consider the Fröhlich electron–phonon interaction in the framework of the dielectric continuum approach. The selection rules are studied. For the GaN NWs with small radius, results reveal that the main contribution to the differential cross-section (DCS) stems from the surface optical (SO) phonons especially from the high-frequency of SO phonons, with a minor contribution from the longitudinal optical (LO) phonons. Meanwhile, dispersions of the two branches of the SO phonon modes are obvious when the wire is thin. Moreover, compared to GaAs NWs, the GaN NWs make more contribution to the DCS in the small quantum size.     

The fabrication technique and electrical properties of a free-standing GaN nanowire

We fabricated a free-standing structure of a GaN nanowire by selectively etching Si₃N₄, previously grown on a SiO₂ substrate, for application to three-dimensional integrated circuits such as nanorelays and actuators. In the nanowire-deposition process we adopted electrophoresis and reactive ion etching techniques to achieve a well-aligned and free-standing nanowire. The electrical transport measurements were performed from room temperature down to liquid-nitrogen temperature. The current–voltage (I–V) characteristics showed a rectifying behavior in the whole temperature range. We analyze this property as a Schottky barrier formation between the nanowire and electrodes. PACS  61.46.+w; 73.22.-f; 73.40.Ei; 81.07.Bc; 81.16.Rf     

Formation of aligned silicon nanowire on silicon by electroless etching in HF solution

It was demonstrated that the etching in HF-based aqueous solution containing AgNO₃ and Na₂S₂O₈ as oxidizing agents or by Au-assisted electroless etching in HF/H₂O₂ solution at 50 °C yields films composed of aligned Si nanowire (SiNW). SiNW of diameters ∼10 nm were formed. The morphology and the photoluminescence (PL) of the etched layer as a function of etching solution composition were studied. The SiNW layers formed on silicon were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) and photoluminescence. It was demonstrated that the morphology and the photoluminescence of the etched layers strongly depends on the type of etching solution. Finally, a discussion on the formation process of the silicon nanowires is presented.     

Massive transfer of vertically aligned Si nanowire array onto alien substrates and their characteristics

Si nanowires (NWs) are promising materials for future electronic, photovoltaic, and sensor applications. So far the Si NWs are mainly formed on particular substrates or at high temperatures, greatly limiting their application flexibility. Here we report a low temperature process for forming and massively transferring vertically aligned Si NWs on alien substrates with a large density of about (3-5) × 10⁷ NWs/mm². The X-ray diffraction spectrum reveals that the transferred NWs exhibit almost the same crystal property as the bulk Si. Our investigation further shows that the transferred NWs have exceptional optical characteristics. The transferred Si NWs of 12.14 μm exhibit the transmittance as low as 0.3% in the near infrared region and 0.07% in the visible region. The extracted absorption coefficient of Si NWs in the near infrared region is about 3 × 10³ cm⁻¹, over 30 times larger than that of the bulk Si. Because of the low temperature process, it enables a large variety of alien substrates such as glass and plastics to be used. In addition, the exceptional properties of the transferred NWs offer potential applications for photovoltaic, photo-detectors, sensors, and flexible electronics.     

Well vertically aligned ZnO nanowire arrays with an ultra-fast recovery time for UV photodetector

Well-crystallized ZnO nanowire arrays were grown on GaN/sapphire by one-step chemical vapor deposition under control of the fabrication pressure of 1000–2500 Pa and the best-aligned arrays were obtained at 1000 Pa. A photoluminescence study shows a red shift with nanowire diameter increase. Under 365-nm UV irradiation of 0.3 mW/cm², the photoresponse study of the best ZnO arrays shows an ultra-fast tri-exponential rise with three constants of 0.148, 0.064 and 0.613 s, and a bi-exponential decay behavior with two recovery constants of 30 and 270 ms. The ZnO/GaN heterojunction barriers could be responsible for the ultra-fast tri-exponential rise and bi-exponential decay behavior.     

Synthesis and photoluminescence of aligned SiO<Subscript>x</Subscript> nanowire arrays

Aligned SiO_x nanowire arrays standing on a Si substrate were successfully synthesized using a simple method by heating a single-crystalline Si slice covered with SiO₂ nanoparticles at 1000 °C in a flowing Ar atmosphere. The SiO_x nanowire arrays were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The SiO_x nanowires become progressively thinner from bottom to top. The formation process of the SiO_x nanowire arrays is closely related to a vapor–solid mechanism. Room-temperature photoluminescence measurements under excitation at 260 nm showed that the SiO_x nanowire arrays had a strong blue–green emission at 500 nm (about 2.5 eV), which may be related to oxygen defects. Received: 29 April 2002 / Accepted: 30 April 2002 / Published online: 10 September 2002 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +86-551-559-1434, E-mail: gwmeng@mail.issp.ac.cn     

Synthesis of aligned GaN nanorods on Si (111) by molecular beam epitaxy

Straight and well-aligned GaN nanorods have been successfully synthesized by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) method. The GaN nanorods have been characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED). SEM images show that GaN nanorods are constituted with two parts of which shapes are different from each other. The upper part of the nanorod is very thin and its lower part is relatively thick. The XRD and EDS analysis have identified that the nanorods are pure hexagonal GaN with single crystalline wurtzite structure. The TEM images indicate that the nanorods are well crystallized and nearly free from defects. The XRD, HRTEM, and SAED pattern reveal that the growth direction of GaN nanorods is 〈0001〉. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra indicate the good emission property for the nanorods. Finally, we have demonstrated about the two-step growth of the nanorods. PACS 81.07.Bc; 81.05.Ea; 81.15.Hi     

First-principles study on structural and electronic properties of copper nanowire encapsulated into GaN nanotube

We present a systemic study of the structural and electronic properties of Cu_n nanowires (n=5, 9 and 13) encapsulated in armchair (8,8) gallium nitride nanotubes (GaNNTs) using the first-principles calculations. We find that the formation processes of these systems are all exothermic. The initial shapes are preserved without any visible changes for the Cu₅@(8,8) and Cu₉@(8,8) combined systems, but a quadratic-like cross-section shape is formed for the outer nanotube of the Cu₁₃@(8,8) combined system due to the stronger attraction between nanowire and nanotube. The electrons of Ga and N atoms in outer GaN sheath affect the electron conductance of the encapsulated metallic nanowire in the Cu₁₃@(8,8) combined system. But in the Cu₅@(8,8) and Cu₉@(8,8) combined systems, the conduction electrons are distributed only on the copper atoms, so charge transport will occur only in the inner copper nanowire, which is effectively insulated by the outer GaN nanotube. Considering the maximal metal filling ratio in nanotube, we know that the Cu₉@(8,8) combined system is top-priority in the ultra-large-scale integration (ULSI) circuits and micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) devices that demand steady transport of electrons.     

Exciton states and interband optical transitions in wurtzite InGaN/GaN quantum dot nanowire heterostructures

Within the framework of the effective-mass approximation, the exciton states and interband optical transitions in In_xGa_1−xN/GaN strained quantum dot (QD) nanowire heterostructures are investigated using a variational method, in which the important built-in electric field (BEF) effects, dielectric-constant mismatch and three-dimensional confinement of the electron and hole in In_xGa_1−xN QDs are considered. We find that the strong BEF gives rise to an obvious reduction of the effective band gap of QDs and leads to a remarkable electron-hole spatial separation. The BEF, QD height and radius, and dielectric mismatch effects have a significant influence on exciton binding energy, electron interband optical transitions, and the exciton oscillator strength.     

Hybrid solar cells with conducting polymers and vertically aligned silicon nanowire arrays: The effect of silicon conductivity

Organic/inorganic hybrid solar cells, based on vertically aligned n-type silicon nanowires (n-Si NWs) and p-type conducting polymers (PEDOT:PSS), were investigated as a function of Si conductivity. The n-Si NWs were easily prepared from the n-Si wafer by employing a silver nanodot-mediated micro-electrochemical redox reaction. This investigation shows that the photocurrent-to-voltage characteristics of the n-Si NW/PEDOT:PSS cells clearly exhibit a stable rectifying diode behavior. The increase in current density and fill factor using high conductive silicon is attributed to an improved charge transport towards the electrodes achieved by lowering the device's series resistance. Our results also show that the surface area of the nanowire that can form heterojunction domains significantly influences the device performance.     

Prebreakdown condition in selenium rectifiers

This paper reports data from an experimental investigation of the prebreakdown and breakdown conditions of factory production selenium rectifiers in the temperature range from 100 ° to –196 ° C when a unit voltage pulse with steep leading edge (rise time about 10^–8 sec) is applied to the rectifier in the non-conducting direction. Change in voltage across the rectifier and in current through it were recorded by a two-channel high-speed electronic oscilloscope. On the basis of this test data, the variation of discharge rise-time in the selenium p-n junction as a function of overvoltage and temperature was determined, the formation of current pulses was detected in the junction, both before and during breakdown in the temperature range from 100 ° to –196 ° C, and it was also established that breakdowns of selenium rectifier p-n junctions are due to joint action of the Zener effect and impact ionization.We are indebted to Prof. Kh. I. Amirkhanov for his constant interest in this work.