All zinc-blende GaAs/(Ga,Mn)As core-shell nanowires with ferromagnetic ordering

Effects of high pressure on the ferromagnetism and in-plane electrical transport of (Ba0.904K0.096)(Zn0.805Mn0.195)2As2 single crystal

Pressure technique is an effective way to modify magnetic properties of diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMS). Based on single crystal, in-plane electrical transport properties of a new generation DMS (Ba_0.904K_0.096)(Zn_0.805Mn_0.195)₂As₂ have been measured with hydrostatic pressure up to 1.8 GPa. Magnetic properties of the single crystal sample are effectively tuned by pressure. Upon compression, the in-plane resistivity initially decreases but then increases when pressure is higher than 1.2 GPa. First principle calculations suggest that decrease of the resistivity is due to enhancement of density of state at Femi energy while increase of the resistivity under higher pressure is caused by distorted MnAs₄ tetrahedra. We reveal that the configuration of the MnAs₄ tetrahedra and strength of interlayer As-As bonding are of importance to ferromagnetic coupling of (Ba,K)(Zn,Mn)₂As₂.

Wurtzite (Ga,Mn)As nanowire shells with ferromagnetic properties

(Ga,Mn)As having a wurtzite crystal structure was coherently grown by molecular beam epitaxy on the {1100} side facets of wurtzite (Ga,In)As nanowires and further encapsulated by (Ga,Al)As and low temperature GaAs. For the first time, a truly long-range ferromagnetic magnetic order is observed in non-planar (Ga,Mn)As, which is attributed to a more effective hole confinement in the shell containing Mn by the proper selection/choice of both the core and outer shell materials.

GaAs nanowires with oxidation-proof arsenic capping for the growth of an epitaxial shell

We propose an arsenic-capping/decapping method, allowing the growth of an epitaxial shell around the GaAs nanowire (NW) core which is exposed to an ambient atmosphere, and without the introduction of impurities. Self-catalyzed GaAs NW arrays were firstly grown on Si(111) substrates by solid-source molecular beam epitaxy. Aiming for protecting the active surface of the GaAs NW core, the arsenic-capping/decapping method has been applied. To validate the effect of this method, different core/shell NWs have been fabricated. Analyses highlight the benefit of the As capping-decapping method for further epitaxial shell growth: an epitaxial shell with a smooth surface is achieved in the case of As-capped-decapped GaAs NWs, comparable to the in situ grown GaAs/AlGaAs NWs. This As capping method opens a way for the epitaxial growth of heterogeneous material shells such as functional oxides using different reactors.

Two-step fabrication of self-catalyzed Ga-based semiconductor nanowires on Si by molecular-beam epitaxy

For the epitaxial growth of Ga-based III-V semiconductor nanowires (NWs) on Si, Ga droplets could provide a clean and compatible solution in contrast to the common Au catalyst. However, the use of Ga droplets is rather limited except for that in Ga-catalyzed GaAs NW studies in a relatively narrow growth temperature (Ts) window around 620 °C on Si. In this paper, we have investigated the two-step growth of Ga-catalyzed III-V NWs on Si (111) substrates by molecular-beam epitaxy. First, by optimizing the surface oxide, vertically aligned GaAs NWs with a high yield are obtained at Ts = 620 °C. Then a two-temperature procedure is adopted to preserve Ga droplets at lower Ts, which leads to an extension of Ts down to 500 °C for GaAs NWs. Based on this procedure, systematic morphological and structural studies for Ga-catalyzed GaAs NWs in the largest Ts range could be presented. Then within the same growth scheme, for the first time, we demonstrate Ga-catalyzed GaAs/GaSb heterostructure NWs. These GaSb NWs are axially grown on the GaAs NW sections and are pure zinc-blende single crystals. Compositional measurements confirm that the catalyst particles indeed mainly consist of Ga and GaSb sections are of high purity but with a minor composition of As. In the end, we present GaAsSb NW growth with a tunable Sb composition. Our results provide useful information for the controllable synthesis of multi-compositional Ga-catalyzed III-V semiconductor NWs on Si for heterogeneous integration.

Epitaxial Growth of Room-Temperature Ferromagnetic MnAs Segments on GaAs Nanowires via Sequential Crystallization

We investigate the incorporation of manganese into self-catalyzed GaAs nanowires grown in molecular beam epitaxy. Our study reveals that Mn accumulates in the liquid Ga droplet and that no significant incorporation into the nanowire is observed. Using a sequential crystallization of the droplet, we then demonstrate a deterministic and epitaxial growth of MnAs segments at the nanowire tip. This technique may allow the seamless integration of multiple room-temperature ferromagnetic segments into GaAs nanowires with high-crystalline quality.

All-wurtzite (In,Ga)As-(Ga,Mn)As core-shell nanowires grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Structural and magnetic properties of (In,Ga)As-(Ga,Mn)As core-shell nanowires grown by molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs(111)B substrate with gold catalyst have been investigated. (In,Ga)As core nanowires were grown at high temperature (500 °C) whereas (Ga,Mn)As shells were deposited on the {11̅00} side facets of the cores at much lower temperature (220 °C). High-resolution transmission electron microscopy images and high spectral resolution Raman scattering data show that both the cores and the shells of the nanowires have wurtzite crystalline structure. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy observations show smooth (Ga,Mn)As shells containing 5% of Mn epitaxially deposited on (In,Ga)As cores containing about 10% of In without any misfit dislocations at the core-shell interface. With the In content in the (In,Ga)As cores larger than 5% the (In,Ga)As lattice parameter is higher than that of (Ga,Mn)As and the shell is in the tensile strain state. Elaborated magnetic studies indicate the presence of ferromagnetic coupling in (Ga,Mn)As shells at the temperatures in excess of 33 K. This coupling is maintained only in separated mesoscopic volumes resulting in an overall superparamagnetic behavior which gets blocked below ∼ 17 K.

Controlled synthesis of phase-pure InAs nanowires on Si(111) by diminishing the diameter to 10 nm

Here we report the growth of phase-pure InAs nanowires on Si (111) substrates by molecular-beam epitaxy using Ag catalysts. A conventional one-step catalyst annealing process is found to give rise to InAs nanowires with diameters ranging from 4.5 to 81 nm due to the varying sizes of the Ag droplets, which reveal strong diameter dependence of the crystal structure. In contrast, a novel two-step catalyst annealing procedure yields vertical growth of highly uniform InAs nanowires ∼10 nm in diameter. Significantly, these ultrathin nanowires exhibit a perfect wurtzite crystal structure, free of stacking faults and twin defects. Using these high-quality ultrathin InAs nanowires as the channel material of metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor, we have obtained a high ION/IOFF ratio of ∼10(6), which shows great potential for application in future nanodevices with low power dissipation.

GaAs-Fe₃Si core-shell nanowires: nanobar magnets

Semiconductor-ferromagnet GaAs-Fe3Si core-shell nanowires were grown by molecular beam epitaxy and analyzed by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Mössbauer spectroscopy, and magnetic force microscopy. We obtained closed and smooth Fe3Si shells with a crystalline structure that show ferromagnetic properties with magnetizations along the nanowire axis (perpendicular to the substrate). Such nanobar magnets are promising candidates to enable the fabrication of new forward-looking devices in the field of spintronics and magnetic recording.