Crystal structure tuning in GaAs nanowires using HCl

Abstract

The use of HCl during growth of nanowires presents new possibilities for controlling the growth dynamics and resulting nanowire properties. In this paper, we investigate the effects of in situ HCl on the growth of Au-seeded GaAs nanowires in a growth regime where both wurtzite and zinc blende crystal structures are possible to achieve. We find that HCl changes the crystal structure of the nanowires from pure wurtzite to defect-free zinc blende. By comparing the growth of wurtzite–zinc blende heterostructures with and without the addition of HCl, it is deduced that HCl mainly interacts with Ga species prior incorporation, reducing the amount of Ga available to contribute to the growth. We conclude that the change in crystal structure is related to the reduction of Ga adatoms, and demonstrate the realization of wurtzite–zinc blende heterostructures with atomically sharp interfaces achieved only by adding HCl.