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Atomically Abrupt Silicon–Germanium Axial Heterostructure Nanowires Synthesized in a Solvent Vapor Growth System
journal contribution
posted on 2013-04-10, 00:00 authored by Hugh Geaney, Emma Mullane, Quentin M. Ramasse, Kevin M. RyanThe growth of Si/Ge axial heterostructure
nanowires in high yield
using a versatile wet chemical approach is reported. Heterostructure
growth is achieved using the vapor zone of a high boiling point solvent
as a reaction medium with an evaporated tin layer as the catalyst.
The low solubility of Si and Ge within the Sn catalyst allows the
formation of extremely abrupt heterojunctions of the order of just
1–2 atomic planes between the Si and Ge nanowire segments.
The compositional abruptness was confirmed using aberration corrected
scanning transmission electron microscopy and atomic level electron
energy loss spectroscopy. Additional analysis focused on the role
of crystallographic defects in determining interfacial abruptness
and the preferential incorporation of metal catalyst atoms near twin
defects in the nanowires.
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heterostructure nanowiresvapor zonechemical approachHeterostructure growthmetal catalyst atomsabruptnessSolvent Vapor Growth SystemThe growthlevel electron energy loss spectroscopydefectSiGe nanowire segmentsscanning transmission electron microscopySn catalystAdditional analysisreaction mediumtin layer