Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor-Compatible, High-Mobility, ⟨111⟩-Oriented GaSb Nanowires Enabled by...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Semiconductor Physics

Background:

• Gallium Antimonide (GaSb) nanowires (NWs) are promising for next-generation electronics.
• Conventional vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) growth methods often result in defects and limited control over NW properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the formation of high-mobility ⟨111⟩-oriented GaSb NWs using a vapor-solid-solid (VSS) growth mechanism.
• To investigate the role of Pd catalysts in achieving controlled NW growth and superior electronic properties.

Main Methods:

• Utilized CMOS-compatible Palladium (Pd) catalysts for surfactant-assisted chemical vapor deposition (CVD).
• Employed a complementary experimental and theoretical approach to understand the VSS growth mechanism.
• Fabricated back-gated field-effect transistors (FETs) using the synthesized GaSb NWs.

Main Results:

• Achieved growth of slender GaSb NWs with diameters down to 26.9 ± 3.5 nm.
• Over 95% of NWs exhibited high crystalline quality and ⟨111⟩ orientation across a wide diameter range (10-70 nm).
• Demonstrated superior peak hole mobility of ~330 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹ in FETs, approaching the theoretical limit for ~30 nm diameter NWs.

Conclusions:

• The Pd-catalyzed VSS growth mechanism enables precise control over GaSb NW properties, including orientation and morphology.
• The synthesized GaSb NWs possess excellent homogeneity and electrical characteristics, suitable for high-performance electronic devices.
• Demonstrated the potential for large-scale assembly of GaSb NWs using contact printing for practical device applications.