Christoph Gutsche

Controllable p-type doping of GaAs nanowires during vapor-liquid-solid growth

We report on controlled p-type doping of GaAs nanowires grown by metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy on (111)B GaAs substrates using the vapor-liquid-solid growth mode. p-type doping of GaAs nanowires was realized by an additional diethyl zinc flow during the growth. Compared to nominally undoped structures, the current increases by more than six orders of magnitude. The transfer characteristics of fabricated nanowire metal-insulator-semiconductor field-effect transistor devices proved p-type conductivity. By adjusting the II/III ratio, controlled doping concentrations from 4.6×1018 up to 2.3×1019 cm−3 could be achieved at a growth temperature of 400 °C. The doping concentrations were estimated from electrical conductivity measurements applied to single nanowires with different diameters. This estimation is based on a mobility versus carrier concentration model with surface depletion included.

Direct determination of minority carrier diffusion lengths at axial GaAs nanowire p-n junctions.

Axial GaAs nanowire p-n diodes, possibly one of the core elements of future nanowire solar cells and light emitters, were grown via the Au-assisted vapor-liquid-solid mode, contacted by electron beam lithography, and investigated using electron beam induced current measurements. The minority carrier diffusion lengths and dynamics of both, electrons and holes, were determined directly at the vicinity of the p-n junction. The generated photocurrent shows an exponential decay on both sides of the junction and the extracted diffusion lengths are about 1 order of magnitude lower compared to bulk material due to surface recombination. Moreover, the observed strong diameter-dependence is well in line with the surface-to-volume ratio of semiconductor nanowires. Estimating the surface recombination velocities clearly indicates a nonabrupt p-n junction, which is in essential agreement with the model of delayed dopant incorporation in the Au-assisted vapor-liquid-solid mechanism. Surface passivation using ammonium sulfide effectively reduces the surface recombination and thus leads to higher minority carrier diffusion lengths.

Alignment of Semiconductor Nanowires Using Ion Beams

Gallium arsenide nanowires are grown on 100 GaAs substrates, adopting the epitaxial relation and thus growing with an angle around 35 degrees off the substrate surface. These straight nanowires are irradiated with different kinds of energetic ions. Depending on the ion species and energy, downwards or upwards bending of the nanowires is observed to increase with ion fluence. In the case of upwards bending, the nanowires can be aligned towards the ion beam direction at high fluences. Defect formation (vacancies and interstitials) within the implantation cascade is identified as the key mechanism for bending. Monte Carlo simulations of the implantation are presented to substantiate the results.

n-Type Doping of Vapor–Liquid–Solid Grown GaAs Nanowires

In this letter, n-type doping of GaAs nanowires grown by metal–organic vapor phase epitaxy in the vapor–liquid–solid growth mode on (111)B GaAs substrates is reported. A low growth temperature of 400°C is adjusted in order to exclude shell growth. The impact of doping precursors on the morphology of GaAs nanowires was investigated. Tetraethyl tin as doping precursor enables heavily n-type doped GaAs nanowires in a relatively small process window while no doping effect could be found for ditertiarybutylsilane. Electrical measurements carried out on single nanowires reveal an axially non-uniform doping profile. Within a number of wires from the same run, the donor concentrations ND of GaAs nanowires are found to vary from 7 × 1017 cm-3 to 2 × 1018 cm-3. The n-type conductivity is proven by the transfer characteristics of fabricated nanowire metal–insulator-semiconductor field-effect transistor devices.

Material and doping transitions in single GaAs-based nanowires probed by Kelvin probe force microscopy

We demonstrate the potential of Kelvin probe force microscopy for simultaneously probing the topography and the work function of individual nanowires. Our technique allows us to visualize both the material and the doping contrast in single GaAs-based nanowires without the need to electrically contact the nanowires. In a GaAs/GaP heterostructure nanowire, a core-shell structure is found. This is attributed to a thermally activated radial overgrowth of GaAs, while in the GaP region the vertical nanowire growth dominates. In partially p-doped GaAs nanowires the doping transitions can be localized and the width of the depletion layer is estimated.

P-type doping of GaAs nanowires

Gallium arsenide (GaAs) nanowires with diameters of 150nm have been grown via metal-organic vapor deposition and were subsequently implanted with Zn64 ions. The amorphized nanowires were annealed at 800°C under arsenic overpressure resulting into a full recrystallization of the nanowires as well as an activation of the implanted acceptors. Consequently, we observe a strong increase in conductivity of the GaAs:Zn nanowires, where a simple estimation of the activated acceptors matches the implantation concentration.

A precise optical determination of nanoscale diameters of semiconductor nanowires

Electrical and optical properties of semiconducting nanowires (NWs) strongly depend on their diameters. Therefore, a precise knowledge of their diameters is essential for any kind of device integration. Here, we present an optical method based on dark field optical microscopy to easily determine the diameters of individual NWs with an accuracy of a few nanometers and thus a relative error of less than 10%. The underlying physical principle of this method is that strong Mie resonances dominate the optical scattering spectra of most semiconducting NWs and can thus be exploited. The feasibility of this method is demonstrated using GaAs NWs but it should be applicable to most types of semiconducting NWs as well. Dark field optical microscopy shows that even slight tapering of the NWs, i.e. diameter variations of a few nanometers, can be detected by a visible color change. Abrupt diameter changes of a few nanometers, as they occur for example when growth conditions vary, can be determined as well. In addition a profound analysis of the elastic scattering properties of individual GaAs NWs is presented theoretically using Mie calculations as well as experimentally by dark field microscopy. This method has the advantage that no vacuum technique is needed, a fast and reliable analysis is possible based on cheap standard hardware.

Optical properties of heavily doped GaAs nanowires and electroluminescent nanowire structures

We present GaAs electroluminescent nanowire structures fabricated by metal organic vapor phase epitaxy. Electroluminescent structures were realized in both axial pn-junctions in single GaAs nanowires and free-standing nanowire arrays with a pn-junction formed between nanowires and substrate, respectively. The electroluminescence emission peak from single nanowire pn-junctions at 10 K was registered at an energy of around 1.32 eV and shifted to 1.4 eV with an increasing current. The line is attributed to the recombination in the compensated region present in the nanowire due to the memory effect of the vapor-liquid-solid growth mechanism. Arrayed nanowire electroluminescent structures with a pn-junction formed between nanowires and substrate demonstrated at 5 K a strong electroluminescence peak at 1.488 eV and two shoulder peaks at 1.455 and 1.519 eV. The main emission line was attributed to the recombination in the p-doped GaAs. The other two lines correspond to the tunneling-assisted photon emission and band-edge recombination in the abrupt junction, respectively. Electroluminescence spectra are compared with the micro-photoluminescence spectra taken along the single p-, n- and single nanowire pn-junctions to find the origin of the electroluminescence peaks, the distribution of doping species and the sharpness of the junctions.

Planar-defect characteristics and cross-sections of 〈001〉, 〈111〉, and 〈112〉 InAs nanowires

We report on detailed structural and morphological characterizations of InAs nanowires of 〈001〉, 〈111〉, and 〈112〉 crystallographic directions grown on (001)B InAs wafer substrates using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. We find that 〈001〉-oriented InAs nanowires are cubic zincblende-type structure and free of planar defects. The 〈111〉- and 〈112〉-oriented InAs nanowires both have densely twinned (111) planar defects that are perpendicular and parallel to the growth direction, respectively. The cross sections of all three types of InAs nanowires are obtained from 3D reconstructions using electron tomography. The characteristics of the planar defects and the 3D wire shape should provide better estimations of microstructure-relevant physical properties, such as conductivity and Young’s modulus of InAs nanowires.

Ohmic contacts to n-GaAs nanowires

We report on the technology and the electrical properties of two different contact systems on n-GaAs nanowires. Annealed Ge/Ni/Ge/Au and Pd/Ge/Au multilayer metallization were investigated. Rapid thermal annealing at temperatures common for identical contact systems on n-GaAs layers is found to be crucial due to an enhanced out-diffusion of the Ga component into the Au contact layer. The maximum annealing temperatures ensuring intact nanowires are 320 °C for Ge/Ni/Ge/Au and 280 °C for Pd/Ge/Au. The fabricated Pd/Ge/Au contacts reveal a specific contacts resistance of 2.77 × 10−7 Ωcm2, which is about one order of magnitude lower compared to the values of Ge/Ni/Ge/Au and also lower than Pd/Ge/Au contacts on bulk material (1.2 × 10−6 Ωcm2).