Gopal Sapkota

Influence of growth temperature on the stoichiometry of InSb nanowires grown by vapor phase transport

We report on the influence of growth parameters on the stoichiometry of indium antimonide nanowires grown by vapor phase transport. Using electron microscopy and composition analysis, we show that there is an optimum growth temperature window for growing stoichiometric indium antimonide (InSb) nanowires. The choice of the metal catalyst, evaporation and growth temperature are all critical parameters affecting the morphology and stoichiometry of the growing crystal. By controlling the growth temperature, it was possible to grow either stoichiometric InSb nanowires or In nanowires that contained no Sb within detectable limits. Electrical transport measurements of single InSb nanowires with two ohmic contacts demonstrate n-type conduction persisting from room temperature to 15 K.

Stoichiometry dependent electron transport and gas sensing properties of indium oxide nanowires

The effect of stoichiometry of single crystalline In2O3 nanowires on electrical transport and gas sensing was investigated. The nanowires were synthesized by vapor phase transport and had diameters ranging from 80 to 100 nm and lengths between 10 and 20 μm, with a growth direction of [001]. Transport measurements revealed n-type conduction, attributed to the presence of oxygen vacancies in the crystal lattice. As-grown In2O3 nanowires were shown to have a carrier concentration of ≈5 × 10(17) cm(-3), while nanowires that were annealed in wet O2 showed a reduced carrier concentration of less than 10(16) cm(-3). Temperature dependent conductivity measurements on the as-grown nanowires and analysis of the thermally activated Arrhenius conduction for the temperature range of 77-350 K yielded an activation energy of 0.12 eV. This is explained on the basis of carrier exchange that occurs between the surface states and the bulk of the nanowire, resulting in a depleted surface layer of thickness of the order of the Debye length (LD), estimated to be about 3-4 nm for the as-grown nanowires and about 10 times higher for the more stoichiometric nanowires. Significant changes in the electrical conductance of individual In2O3 nanowires were also observed within several seconds of exposure to NH3 and O2 gas molecules at room temperature, thus demonstrating the potential use of In2O3 nanowires as efficient miniaturized chemical sensors. The sensing mechanism is dominated by the nanowire channel conductance, and a simple energy band diagram is used to explain the change in conductivity when gas molecules adsorbed on the nanowire surface influence its electrical properties. Less stoichiometric nanowires were found to be more sensitive to oxidizing gases while more stoichiometric nanowires showed significantly enhanced response to reducing gases.

Synthesis of metallic, semiconducting, and semi-metallic nanowires through control of InSb growth parameters

In this work we present a simple route to grow metallic, semiconducting or semi-metallic nanowires by chemical vapor deposition. Metallic indium (In), semiconducting indium antimonide (InSb) and semi-metallic antimony (Sb) nanowires were successfully synthesized by controlling temperature and hence Sb vapor pressure in the higher eutectic region of the InSb phase diagram. Semiconducting InSb nanowires were synthesized by direct antimonidization of In droplets at a temperature of 480 °C in an Sb-rich environment. I–V measurements on a single 50 nm thick InSb nanowire field-effect transistor show electrons to be the majority carriers with an electron concentration of ≈1018 cm−3. Thermally activated Arrhenius conduction was observed in the temperature range from 200–325 K, yielding an activation energy of 0.11 eV. Metallic In nanowires were grown at 600 °C, using a process similar to that for the growth of InSb nanowires. However, the higher growth temperature resulted in Sb re-evaporating from the growing nanowire crystal, leading to growth of In nanowires. The In nanowires were found to have an extremely high (≈1021 cm−3) electron concentration. Temperature dependent conductivity measurements show that at high temperatures the In nanowire conductivity varies as T−3/2, suggesting that acoustic phonons controlled electron transport. Antimony nanowire growth occurred at 400 °C by a self-catalyzed growth mechanism. Electron transport measurements on a single Sb nanowire reveal p-type conduction, with a hole concentration of ≈1019 cm−3. A higher hole mobility compared to electron mobility and the presence of surface states is the most likely cause of the hole-dominated conductivity in the Sb nanowires.

Photovoltaics based on nanotubes filled with nanoparticles: generalized Mie theory approach

Gold nanoparticles have interesting properties of nano-antennas that focus the radiation field into relatively small, much smaller than the wavelength of radiation, regions. Optical and electronic properties of nano-wires experiencing huge field enhancement can be modified due to these plasmonic interactions. We have developed a generalized Mie theory to demonstrate the effect of enhancement of the electric field near gold nanoparticles and study novel optical and electronic properties of these new structures: nanotubes filled with metal nanoparticles and nano-wires with metal nanoparticles as inclusions on their surface. In the paper, we discuss the applications of such novel nanoscale hybrid metal/semiconductor composites to sensitive sensors and efficient photovoltaics.

Ferromagnetic ZnO Nanowires for Spintronic Applications

This book chapter reviews experimental results of observed room temperature ferromagnetism in transition metal doped group II-VI semiconductors.