Metal-assisted photochemical etching of GaN nanowires: The role of metal distribution
Metal-assisted chemical etching plays a critical role in synthesizing GaN nanowires. In this work, GaN films grown on Si(111) substrates are immersed in CuSO4/HF etchant under UV illumination to fabricate nanowires. These GaN nanowires are much more homogeneous than those synthesized in AgNO3/HF etc...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2019-06-01
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| Series: | Electrochemistry Communications |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1388248119301134 |
| _version_ | 1819027672545624064 |
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| author | Qi Wang Guodong Yuan Shuai Zhao Wenqiang Liu Zhiqiang Liu Junxi Wang Jinmin Li |
| author_facet | Qi Wang Guodong Yuan Shuai Zhao Wenqiang Liu Zhiqiang Liu Junxi Wang Jinmin Li |
| author_sort | Qi Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Metal-assisted chemical etching plays a critical role in synthesizing GaN nanowires. In this work, GaN films grown on Si(111) substrates are immersed in CuSO4/HF etchant under UV illumination to fabricate nanowires. These GaN nanowires are much more homogeneous than those synthesized in AgNO3/HF etchant. During the etching process, Cu and Ag particles appear primarily at the cracks in GaN films where the atoms are more reactive. After that, Cu accumulates continuously at the cracks, while Ag dendrites are formed and spread all over the whole GaN surface. These phenomena are ascribed to the different nucleation rates and diffusion rates of Ag and Cu. The metal particles thus formed block out ultraviolet illumination, and suppress the etching of GaN. It is the orderly accumulation of Cu particles that enables uniform photochemical etching. Our work proposes a novel metal-assisted photochemical etching method for synthesizing uniform GaN nanowires and reveals the physical distribution of the metal during etching. This method has the potential for rapid preparation of GaN nanowires. Keywords: Metal-assisted chemical etching, GaN nanowires, Ag dendrites, Cu particles |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T05:46:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d4e0f8f687184f849dc63adf6f8f8cec |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1388-2481 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T05:46:12Z |
| publishDate | 2019-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Electrochemistry Communications |
| spelling | doaj.art-d4e0f8f687184f849dc63adf6f8f8cec2022-12-21T19:14:07ZengElsevierElectrochemistry Communications1388-24812019-06-011036671Metal-assisted photochemical etching of GaN nanowires: The role of metal distributionQi Wang0Guodong Yuan1Shuai Zhao2Wenqiang Liu3Zhiqiang Liu4Junxi Wang5Jinmin Li6Center for Semiconductor Lighting, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Solid State Lighting, Beijing Engineering Research Center for the 3rd Generation Semiconductor Materials and Application, Beijing 100083, PR China; Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, ChinaCorresponding author at: Center for Semiconductor Lighting, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Solid State Lighting, Beijing Engineering Research Center for the 3rd Generation Semiconductor Materials and Application, Beijing 100083, PR China.; Center for Semiconductor Lighting, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Solid State Lighting, Beijing Engineering Research Center for the 3rd Generation Semiconductor Materials and Application, Beijing 100083, PR China; Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, ChinaCenter for Semiconductor Lighting, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Solid State Lighting, Beijing Engineering Research Center for the 3rd Generation Semiconductor Materials and Application, Beijing 100083, PR China; Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, ChinaCenter for Semiconductor Lighting, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Solid State Lighting, Beijing Engineering Research Center for the 3rd Generation Semiconductor Materials and Application, Beijing 100083, PR China; Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, ChinaCenter for Semiconductor Lighting, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Solid State Lighting, Beijing Engineering Research Center for the 3rd Generation Semiconductor Materials and Application, Beijing 100083, PR China; Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, ChinaCenter for Semiconductor Lighting, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Solid State Lighting, Beijing Engineering Research Center for the 3rd Generation Semiconductor Materials and Application, Beijing 100083, PR China; Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, ChinaCenter for Semiconductor Lighting, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Solid State Lighting, Beijing Engineering Research Center for the 3rd Generation Semiconductor Materials and Application, Beijing 100083, PR China; Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, ChinaMetal-assisted chemical etching plays a critical role in synthesizing GaN nanowires. In this work, GaN films grown on Si(111) substrates are immersed in CuSO4/HF etchant under UV illumination to fabricate nanowires. These GaN nanowires are much more homogeneous than those synthesized in AgNO3/HF etchant. During the etching process, Cu and Ag particles appear primarily at the cracks in GaN films where the atoms are more reactive. After that, Cu accumulates continuously at the cracks, while Ag dendrites are formed and spread all over the whole GaN surface. These phenomena are ascribed to the different nucleation rates and diffusion rates of Ag and Cu. The metal particles thus formed block out ultraviolet illumination, and suppress the etching of GaN. It is the orderly accumulation of Cu particles that enables uniform photochemical etching. Our work proposes a novel metal-assisted photochemical etching method for synthesizing uniform GaN nanowires and reveals the physical distribution of the metal during etching. This method has the potential for rapid preparation of GaN nanowires. Keywords: Metal-assisted chemical etching, GaN nanowires, Ag dendrites, Cu particleshttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1388248119301134 |
| spellingShingle | Qi Wang Guodong Yuan Shuai Zhao Wenqiang Liu Zhiqiang Liu Junxi Wang Jinmin Li Metal-assisted photochemical etching of GaN nanowires: The role of metal distribution Electrochemistry Communications |
| title | Metal-assisted photochemical etching of GaN nanowires: The role of metal distribution |
| title_full | Metal-assisted photochemical etching of GaN nanowires: The role of metal distribution |
| title_fullStr | Metal-assisted photochemical etching of GaN nanowires: The role of metal distribution |
| title_full_unstemmed | Metal-assisted photochemical etching of GaN nanowires: The role of metal distribution |
| title_short | Metal-assisted photochemical etching of GaN nanowires: The role of metal distribution |
| title_sort | metal assisted photochemical etching of gan nanowires the role of metal distribution |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1388248119301134 |
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