Research Rotation Project

Science of Nanowire Epitaxy

Jeff Drucker
Home Department - Physics
Areas of Study - Condensed Matter Experimental
Office - PSF 342
Phone - 4809659658
E-mail - jeff.drucker@asu.edu
Designation - Experimental

Nanowires are a fundamental building block of nanoscale architectures, but the fundamental science of their formation is not well understood. This project investigates the fundamental growth mechanisms of nanowire epitaxy via the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) technique using silicon-germanium as a model system. In our implementation of VLS, a gas-phase precursor, such a silane or germane, transports the material of interest to a predeposited seed particle where it dissolves, forming a liquid metal eutectic. The size of this eutectic seed fixes the NW diameter. As the NW crystallizes at the liquid/solid interface, the seed particle 'floats' at its tip. VLS growth produces high quality, single crystal NWs and heterostructures that are electrically contacted to the substrate and can be several thousand times as long as their diameter. Simply by changing the growth conditions, it is possible to fabricate a wide variety of nanowire heterostructures. These include axial and core-shell structures that have interesting electronic and thermal transport properties that may find application in novel nanoelectronic, optoelectronic or alternative energy appilcations. This project uses a variety of microscopic and broad beam techniques to investigate the morphology and composition of nanowires and nanowire heterostructures grown in a purpose-built nanowire chemical vapor deposition system.