Solid-Liquid-Vapor Etching of Semiconductor Nanowires.
basic_science · Level V
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 26383971.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1021/acs.nanolett.5b02880.
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Abstract
The vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism enables the bottom-up, or additive, growth of semiconductor nanowires. Here, we demonstrate a reverse process, whereby catalyst atoms are selectively removed from the eutectic catalyst droplet. This process, which is driven by the dicarbonyl precursor 2,3-butanedione, results in axial nanowire etching. Experiments as a function of substrate temperature, etchant flow rate, and nanowire diameter support a solid-liquid-vapor (SLV) mechanism. An etch model with reaction at the liquid-vapor interface as the rate-limiting step is consistent with our experiments. These results identify a new mechanism to in situ tune the concentration of semiconductor atoms in the catalyst droplet.