III-V nanowires and nanowire optoelectronic devices

III–V nanowires (NWs) have been envisioned as nanoscale materials for next-generation technology with good functionality, superior performance, high integration ability and low cost, because of their special growth modes and unique 1D structure. In this review, we summarize the main challenges and important progress of the fabrication and applications of III–V NWs. We start with the III–V NW growth, that significantly influences the NW morphology and crystal quality. Attention is then given to the fabrication of some advanced III–V structures composed of axial and radial junctions. After that, we review the advantages, challenges, and major breakthroughs of using III–V NWs as solar energy harvesters and light emitters. Finally, we attempt to give a perspective look on the future development trends and the remaining challenges in the research field of III–V NWs

Shadow epitaxy for in-situ growth of generic semiconductor/superconductor devices

Uniform, defect-free crystal interfaces and surfaces are crucial ingredients for realizing high-performance nanoscale devices. A pertinent example is that advances in gate-tunable and topological superconductivity using semiconductor/superconductor electronic devices are currently built on the hard proximity-induced superconducting gap obtained from epitaxial indium arsenide/aluminium heterostructures. Fabrication of devices requires selective etch processes; these exist only for InAs/Al hybrids, precluding the use of other, potentially superior material combinations. We present a crystal growth platform -- based on three-dimensional structuring of growth substrates -- which enables synthesis of semiconductor nanowire hybrids with in-situ patterned superconductor shells. This platform eliminates the need for etching, thereby enabling full freedom in choice of hybrid constituents. We realise and characterise all the most frequently used architectures in superconducting hybrid devices, finding increased yield and electrostatic stability compared to etched devices, along with evidence of ballistic superconductivity. In addition to aluminium, we present hybrid devices based on tantalum, niobium and vanadium. This is the submitted version of the manuscript. The accepted, peer reviewed version is available from Advanced Materials: http://doi.org/10.1002/adma.201908411 Previous title: Shadow lithography for in-situ growth of generic semiconductor/superconductor device

Radio-frequency reflectometry on an undoped AlGaAs/GaAs single electron transistor

Radio frequency reflectometry is demonstrated in a sub-micron undoped AlGaAs/GaAs device. Undoped single electron transistors (SETs) are attractive candidates to study single electron phenomena due to their charge stability and robust electronic properties after thermal cycling. However these devices require a large top-gate which is unsuitable for the fast and sensitive radio frequency reflectometry technique. Here we demonstrate rf reflectometry is possible in an undoped SET.Comment: Four pages, three figures, one supplementary fil

GaAsP Nanowires and Nanowire Devices Grown on Silicon Substrates

Ternary GaAsP nanowires (NWs) have gained great attention due to their structure-induced novel properties and band gap that can cover the working wavelength from green to infrared. However, the growth and hence applications of selfcatalyzed GaAsP NWs are troubled by the difficulties in controlling P and the complexities in growing ternary NWs. In this work, self-catalyzed core-shell GaAsP NWs were successfully grown and demonstrated almost stacking-fault-free zinc blend crystal structure. By using these core-shell GaAsP NWs, single NW solar cells have been fabricated and a single NW world record efficiency of 10.2% has been achieved. Those NWs also demonstrated their potential application in water splitting. A wafer-scale solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency of 0.5% has been achieved despite the low surface coverage. These results open up new perspectives for integrating III−V nanowire photovoltaics on a silicon platform by using self-catalyzed GaAsP core−shell nanowires

Growth of Pure Zinc-Blende GaAs(P) Core-Shell Nanowires with Highly Regular Morphology

The growth of self-catalyzed core–shell nanowires (NWs) is investigated systematically using GaAs(P) NWs. The defects in the core NW are found to be detrimental for the shell growth. These defects are effectively eliminated by introducing beryllium (Be) doping during the NW core growth and hence forming Be–Ga alloy droplets that can effectively suppress the WZ nucleation and facilitate the droplet consumption. Shells with pure zinc-blende crystal quality and highly regular morphology are successfully grown on the defect-free NW cores and demonstrated an enhancement of one order of magnitude for room-temperature emission compared to that of the defective shells. These results provide useful information on guiding the growth of high-quality shell, which can greatly enhance the NW device performance

Defect-Free Self-Catalyzed GaAs/GaAsP Nanowire Quantum Dots Grown on Silicon Substrate

The III-V nanowire quantum dots (NWQDs) monolithically grown on silicon substrates, combining the advantages of both one- and zero-dimensional materials, represent one of the most promising technologies for integrating advanced III-V photonic technologies on a silicon microelectronics platform. However, there are great challenges in the fabrication of high-quality III-V NWQDs by a bottom-up approach, that is, growth by the vapor-liquid-solid method, because of the potential contamination caused by external metal catalysts and the various types of interfacial defects introduced by self-catalyzed growth. Here, we report the defect-free self-catalyzed III-V NWQDs, GaAs quantum dots in GaAsP nanowires, on a silicon substrate with pure zinc blende structure for the first time. Well-resolved excitonic emission is observed with a narrow line width. These results pave the way toward on-chip III-V quantum information and photonic devices on silicon platform

Self-Catalyzed Ternary Core-Shell GaAsP Nanowire Arrays Grown on Patterned Si Substrates by Molecular Beam Epitaxy

The growth of self-catalyzed ternary core–shell GaAsP nanowire (NW) arrays on SiO2 patterned Si(111) substrates has been demonstrated by using solid-source molecular beam epitaxy. A high-temperature deoxidization step up to ∼900 °C prior to NW growth was used to remove the native oxide and/or SiO2 residue from the patterned holes. To initiate the growth of GaAsP NW arrays, the Ga predeposition used for assisting the formation of Ga droplets in the patterned holes, was shown to be another essential step. The effects of the patterned-hole size on the NW morphology were also studied and explained using a simple growth model. A lattice-matched radial GaAsP core–shell NW structure has subsequently been developed with room-temperature photoluminescence emission around 740 nm. These results open up new perspectives for integrating position-controlled III–V NW photonic and electronic structures on a Si platform