Analytical description of the metal-assisted growth of III-V nanowires: Axial and radial growths

Journal Article · Mon Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 2009 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3131676· OSTI ID:21352235

Plante, Martin C; LaPierre, Ray R ^[1]

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1. Department of Engineering Physics, Centre for Emerging Device Technologies, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L7 (Canada)

The growth of III-V nanowires from metal seed particles is described in an analytical manner within the framework of a material conservation model. Direct impingement of growth species on the particle, coupled to their diffusion from the sidewall and the substrate surface, are considered in the derivation of expressions for the time evolution of both axial and radial growths. Two regimes are distinguished: the structure originally grows in a purely axial manner until its length exceeds the diffusion length of adatoms incoming from the substrate, at which point sidewall nucleation is triggered, resulting in a shell expanding radially in the lower part of the wire. Factors that take into account the nonunity probability of inclusion of group III adatoms in the axially growing crystal are introduced. Moreover, a step-mediated growth is included to describe the axial evolution of the shell. The numerical values of the various parameters were assessed by fitting the model to experimental data on the morphology evolution of molecular-beam-epitaxy-grown GaAs and InAs nanowires.

• OSTI ID: 21352235
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics Journal Issue: 11 Vol. 105; ISSN JAPIAU; ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ARSENIC COMPOUNDS
ARSENIDES
CRYSTAL GROWTH
CRYSTAL GROWTH METHODS
CRYSTALS
DIFFUSION LENGTH
DIMENSIONS
EPITAXY
GALLIUM ARSENIDES
GALLIUM COMPOUNDS
IMPINGEMENT
INDIUM ARSENIDES
INDIUM COMPOUNDS
LENGTH
MATERIALS
MOLECULAR BEAM EPITAXY
MORPHOLOGY
NANOSTRUCTURES
NUCLEATION
PNICTIDES
QUANTUM WIRES
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SUBSTRATES