Issue 67, 2019, Issue in Progress

Photodegradation of Si-doped GaAs nanowire

Abstract

Researching optical effects in nanowires may require a high pump intensity which under ambient conditions can degrade nanowires due to thermal oxidation. In this work we investigated the photodegradation of a single Si-doped GaAs nanowire by laser heating in air. To understand the changes that occurred on the nanowire we carried out Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and photoluminescence spectroscopy in laser damaged regions as well as in non-affected ones. From Raman Stokes and anti-Stokes measurements we estimated the local temperature that the oxidation process of the nanowire (NW) surface starts at as 661 K, resulting in two new Raman modes at 200 cm−1 and 259 cm−1. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy measurements showed a significant loss of arsenic in the oxidized regions, but no erosion of the nanowire. Micro-photoluminescence measurements showed the near-band-edge emission of GaAs along the nanowire, as well as a new emission band at 755 nm corresponding to polycrystalline β-Ga2O3 formation. Our results also indicate that neither amorphous As nor crystalline As were deposited on the surface of the nanowire. Combining different experimental techniques, this study showed the formation of polycrystalline β-Ga2O3 by oxidation of the nanowire surface and the limits for performing spectroscopic investigations on individual GaAs NWs under ambient air conditions.

Graphical abstract: Photodegradation of Si-doped GaAs nanowire

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
14 Aug 2019
Accepted
14 Nov 2019
First published
02 Dec 2019
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

RSC Adv., 2019,9, 39488-39494

Photodegradation of Si-doped GaAs nanowire

A. C. S. Pimenta, H. Limborço, J. C. González, N. Cifuentes, S. L. L. M. Ramos and F. M. Matinaga, RSC Adv., 2019, 9, 39488 DOI: 10.1039/C9RA06365J

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