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Updated: Apr 13, 2026

Electron Channeling Contrast Imaging for Rapid III-V Heteroepitaxial Characterization
Published on: July 17, 2015
Real-Time Observation of Morphological Transformations in II-VI Semiconducting Nanobelts via Environmental
Rahul Agarwal1, Dmitri N Zakharov2, Nadia M Krook1
1†Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States.
Abstract:
It has been observed that wurtzite II-VI semiconducting nanobelts transform into single-crystal, periodically branched nanostructures upon heating. The mechanism of this novel transformation has been elucidated by heating II-VI nanobelts in an environmental transmission electron microscope (ETEM) in oxidizing, reducing, and inert atmospheres while observing their structural changes with high spatial resolution. The interplay of surface reconstruction of high-energy surfaces of the wurtzite phase and environment-dependent anisotropic chemical etching of certain crystal surfaces in the branching mechanism of nanobelts has been observed. Understanding of structural and chemical transformations of materials via in situ microscopy techniques and their role in designing new nanostructured materials is discussed.
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