Vertically oriented epitaxial germanium nanowires on silicon substrates using thin germanium buffer layers.

We demonstrate a method to realize vertically oriented Ge nanowires on Si(111) substrates. Ge nanowires were grown by chemical vapor deposition using Au nanoparticles to seed nanowire growth via a vapor-liquid-solid growth mechanism. Rapid oxidation of Si during Au nanoparticle application inhibits the growth of vertically oriented Ge nanowires directly on Si. The present method employs thin Ge buffer layers grown at low temperature less than 600 degrees C to circumvent the oxidation problem. By using a thin Ge buffer layer with root-mean-square roughness of approximately 2 nm, the yield of vertically oriented Ge nanowires is as high as 96.3%. This yield is comparable to that of homoepitaxial Ge nanowires. Furthermore, branched Ge nanowires could be successfully grown on these vertically oriented Ge nanowires by a secondary seeding technique. Since the buffer layers are grown under moderate conditions without any high temperature processing steps, this method has a wide process window highly suitable for Si-based microelectronics.

Novel growth and properties of GaAs nanowires on Si substrates.

Straight, vertically aligned GaAs nanowires were grown on Si(111) substrates coated with thin GaAs buffer layers. We find that the V/III precursor ratio and growth temperature are crucial factors influencing the morphology and quality of buffer layers. A double layer structure, consisting of a thin initial layer grown at low V/III ratio and low temperature followed by a layer grown at high V/III ratio and high temperature, is crucial for achieving straight, vertically aligned GaAs nanowires on Si(111) substrates. An in situ annealing step at high temperature after buffer layer growth improves the surface and structural properties of the buffer layer, which further improves the morphology of the GaAs nanowire growth. Through such optimizations we show that vertically aligned GaAs nanowires can be fabricated on Si(111) substrates and achieve the same structural and optical properties as GaAs nanowires grown directly on GaAs(111)B substrates.

Vertically standing Ge nanowires on GaAs(110) substrates.

The growth of epitaxial Ge nanowires is investigated on (100), (111) B and (110) GaAs substrates in the growth temperature range from 300 to 380 °C. Unlike epitaxial Ge nanowires on Ge or Si substrates, Ge nanowires on GaAs substrates grow predominantly along the [Formula: see text] direction. Using this unique property, vertical [Formula: see text] Ge nanowires epitaxially grown on GaAs(110) surface are realized. In addition, these Ge nanowires exhibit minimal tapering and uniform diameters, regardless of growth temperatures, which is an advantageous property for device applications. Ge nanowires growing along the [Formula: see text] directions are particularly attractive candidates for forming nanobridge devices on conventional (100) surfaces.

Improvement of morphology, structure, and optical properties of GaAs nanowires grown on Si substrates

We investigate vertical and defect-free growth of GaAs nanowires on Si (111) substrates via a vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) growth mechanism with Au catalysts by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). By using annealed thin GaAs buffer layers on the surface of Si substrates, most nanowires are grown on the substrates straight, following (111) direction; by using two temperature growth, the nanowires were grown free from structural defects, such as twin defects and stacking faults. Systematic experiments about buffer layers indicate that V/III ratio of precursor and growth temperature can affect the morphology and quality of the buffer layers. Especially, heterostructural buffer layers grown with different V/III ratios and temperatures and in-situ post-annealing step are very helpful to grow well arranged, vertical GaAs nanowires on Si substrates. The initial nanowires having some structural defects can be defect-free by two-temperature growth mode with improved optical property, which shows us positive possibility for optoelectronic device application. ©2010 IEEE.

Between scylla and charybdis: Hydrophobic graphene-guided water diffusion on hydrophilic substrates

The structure of water confined in nanometer-sized cavities is important because, at this scale, a large fraction of hydrogen bonds can be perturbed by interaction with the confining walls. Unusual fluidity properties can thus be expected in the narrow pores, leading to new phenomena like the enhanced fluidity reported in carbon nanotubes. Crystalline mica and amorphous silicon dioxide are hydrophilic substrates that strongly adsorb water. Graphene, on the other hand, interacts weakly with water. This presents the question as to what determines the structure and diffusivity of water when intercalated between hydrophilic substrates and hydrophobic graphene. Using atomic force microscopy, we have found that while the hydrophilic substrates determine the structure of water near its surface, graphene guides its diffusion, favouring growth of intercalated water domains along the C-C bond zigzag direction. Molecular dynamics and density functional calculations are provided to help understand the highly anisotropic water stripe patterns observed.

Measuring the composition of AlGaN layers in GaN based structures grown on 150 mm Si substrates using (2 0 5) reciprocal space maps

A critical element for the successful growth of GaN device layers on Si is accurate control of the AlGaN buffer layers used to manage strain. Here we present a method for measuring the composition of the AlGaN buffer layers in device structures which makes use of a one-dimensional x-ray detector to provide efficient measurement of a reciprocal space map which covers the full compositional range from AlN to GaN. Combining this with a suitable x-ray reflection with low strain sensitivity it is possible to accurately determine the Al fraction of the buffer layers independent of their relaxation state. © 2013 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Deposition of low stress amorphous zinc tin oxide at ambient temperature using a remote plasma sputtering process suitable for delicate substrates

ZnxSnyOz thin films (<100nm thickness), deposited by remote sputtering from a metal target using a confined argon plasma and oxygen gas jet near the sample, were investigated for their material properties. No visible deformation or curl was observed when deposited on plastic. Materials were confirmed to be amorphous and range between 5 and 10 at.% Sn concentration by x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoemission spectroscopy and energydispersive x-ray spectroscopy. Factors affecting the material composition over time are discussed. Depletion of the Sn as the target ages is suspected. © The Electrochemical Society.

Nanoscale-accuracy transfer printing of ultra-thin AlInGaN light-emitting diodes onto mechanically flexible substrates

The transfer printing of 2 μm-thick aluminum indium gallium nitride (AlInGaN) micron-size light-emitting diodes with 150 nm (±14 nm) minimum spacing is reported. The thin AlInGaN structures were assembled onto mechanically flexible polyethyleneterephthalate/polydimethylsiloxane substrates in a representative 16 × 16 array format using a modified dip-pen nano-patterning system. Devices in the array were positioned using a pre-calculated set of coordinates to demonstrate an automated transfer printing process. Individual printed array elements showed blue emission centered at 486 nm with a forward-directed optical output power up to 80 μW (355 mW/cm 2) when operated at a current density of 20 A/cm2. © 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.

Characteristics and applications of InGaN micro-light emitting diodes on Si substrates

InGaN micro-light emitting diodes on Si substrates have been fabricated and characterized. Their abilities for micro-display, high modulation bandwidth of 270 MHz and data transmission rate of up to 400 Mbit/s have been demonstrated. © 2013 IEEE.