Wide-band-gap GaN and Ga-rich InGaN alloys, with energy gaps covering the blue and near-ultraviolet parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, are one group of the dominant materials for solid state lighting and lasing technologies and consequently, have been studied very well. Much less effort has been devoted to InN and In-rich InGaN alloys. A major breakthrough in 2002, stemming from much improved quality of InN films grown using molecular beam epitaxy, resulted in the bandgap of InN being revised from 1.9 eV to a much narrower value of 0.64 eV. This finding triggered a worldwide research thrust into the area of narrow-band-gap group-III nitrides. The low value of the InN bandgap provides a basis for a consistent description of the electronic structure of InGaN and InAlN alloys with all compositions. It extends the fundamental bandgap of the group III-nitride alloy system over a wider spectral region, ranging from the near infrared at ∼1.9 μm (0.64 eV for InN) to the ultraviolet at ∼0.36 μm (3.4 eV for GaN...

When group-III nitrides go infrared: New properties and perspectives

The unique plasma-specific features and physical phenomena in the organization of nanoscale soild-state systems in a broad range of elemental composition, structure, and dimensionality are critically reviewed. These effects lead to the possibility to localize and control energy and matter at nanoscales and to produce self-organized nano-solids with highly unusual and superior properties. A unifying conceptual framework based on the control of production, transport, and self-organization of precursor species is introduced and a variety of plasma-specific non-equilibrium and kinetics-driven phenomena across the many temporal and spatial scales is explained. When the plasma is localized to micrometer and nanometer dimensions, new emergent phenomena arise. The examples range from semiconducting quantum dots and nanowires, chirality control of single-walled carbon nanotubes, ultra-fine manipulation of graphenes, nano-diamond, and organic matter to nano-plasma effects and nano-plasmas of different states of matter.

Plasma nanoscience: from nano-solids in plasmas to nano-plasmas in solids

The unique plasma-specific features and physical phenomena in the organization of nanoscale solid-state systems in a broad range of elemental composition, structure, and dimensionality are critically reviewed. These effects lead to the possibility to localize and control energy and matter at nanoscales and to produce self-organized nano-solids with highly unusual and superior properties. A unifying conceptual framework based on the control of production, transport, and self-organization of precursor species is introduced and a variety of plasma-specific non-equilibrium and kinetics-driven phenomena across the many temporal and spatial scales is explained. When the plasma is localized to micrometer and nanometer dimensions, new emergent phenomena arise. The examples range from semiconducting quantum dots and nanowires, chirality control of single-walled carbon nanotubes, ultra-fine manipulation of graphenes, nano-diamond, and organic matter, to nano-plasma effects and nano-plasmas of different states of matter.

Plasma Nanoscience: from Nano-Solids in Plasmas to Nano-Plasmas in Solids

In this report, we show for the first time that SnO2 nanowire based dye sensitized solar cells exhibit an open circuit voltage of 560 mV, which is 200 mV higher than that using SnO2 nanoparticle based cells. This is attributed to the more negative flat band potential of nanowires compared to the nanoparticles as determined by open circuit photo voltage measurements made at high light intensities. The nanowires were employed in hybrid structures consisting of highly interconnected SnO2 nanowire matrix coated with TiO2 nanoparticles, which showed an open circuit voltage of 720 mV and an efficiency of 4.1% compared to 2.1% obtained with pure SnO2 nanowire matrix. The electron transport time constants for SnO2 nanowire matrix were an order of magnitude lower and the recombination time constants are about 100 times higher than that of TiO2 nanoparticles. The higher efficiency observed for DSSCs based on hybrid structure is attributed to the band edge positions of SnO2 relative to that of TiO2 and faster electron transport in SnO2 nanowires.

Band-Edge Engineered Hybrid Structures for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Based on SnO2 Nanowires

The morphology-controlled synthesis and near-infrared (NIR) absorption properties of W18O49 were systematically investigated for the application of innovative energy-saving windows. Various morphologies of W18O49, such as nanorods, nanofibers, nanograins, nanoassembles, nanoplates, and nanoparticles, with various sizes were successfully synthesized by solvothermal reactions using organic alcohols as reaction media and WCl6, W(EtO)6, and WO3 solids as the tungsten source. W18O49 nanorods of less than 50 nm in length showed the best optical performance as an effective solar filter, which realized high transmittance in the visible region as well as excellent shielding properties of NIR light. Meanwhile, the W18O49 nanorods also exhibited strong absorption of NIR light and instantaneous conversion of the absorbed photoenergy to the local heat.

Morphology-controlled synthesis of W18O49 nanostructures and their near-infrared absorption properties.

Indium nitride (InN) nanowire synthesis using indium (In) vapor transport in a dissociated ammonia environment (reactive vapor transport) is studied in detail to understand the nucleation and growth mechanisms involved with the so-called “self-catalysis” schemes. The results show that the nucleation of InN crystal occurs first on the substrate. Later, In droplets are formed on top of the InN crystals because of selective wetting of In onto InN crystals. Further growth via liquid-phase epitaxy through In droplets leads the growth in one dimension (1D), resulting in the formation of InN nanowires. The details about the nucleation and growth aspects within these self-catalysis schemes are rationalized further by demonstrating the growth of heteroepitaxially oriented nanowire arrays on single-crystal substrates and “tree-like” morphologies on a variety of substrates. However, the direct nitridation of In droplets using dissociated ammonia results in the spontaneous nucleation and basal growth of nanowires dir...

Mechanisms of 1D crystal growth in reactive vapor transport: indium nitride nanowires.

We utilized time-integrated and time-resolved photoluminescence of a-axis and c-axis gallium nitride nanowires to elucidate the origin of the blue-shifted ultraviolet photoluminescence in a-axis GaN nanowires relative to c-axis GaN nanowires. We attribute this blue-shifted ultraviolet photoluminescence to emission from surface trap states as opposed to previously proposed causes such as strain effects or built-in polarization. These results demonstrate the importance of accounting for surface effects when considering ultraviolet optoelectronic devices based on GaN nanowires.

https://www.faculty.ucr.edu/~christob/Photoluminescence_of_GaN.pdf

Photoluminescence of GaN nanowires of different crystallographic orientations.

Charge transport of unintentionally doped GaSb nanowires was studied through the fabrication and analysis of nanowire field effect transistors (FETs). In this work, both temperature dependent and voltage dependent measurements demonstrate various operating regimes, including a transition from linear current-voltage behavior at low bias to a space-charge limited current (SCLC) at large bias. Analysis of the voltage and temperature variation in the SCLC regime provided quantitative information about the trap energy distribution in the nanowires, which, after thermal annealing, has been shown to reduce from 0.26 eV to 0.12 eV. The measurements also indicate that the GaSb nanowire FETs exhibit n-type behavior, which is likely due to oxygen impurities in the nanowires.

Charge transport and trap characterization in individual GaSb nanowires

Here, we report that the postsynthesis nitridation of tungsten oxide nanowires can result in single crystal nitride nanowires when the initial diameters of the nanowires are less than 10 nm. For nanowires with diameters greater than 10 nm, the nitridation of nanowires resulted in polycrystalline but highly oriented tungsten nitride domains in nanowires. Partially nitrided nanowires show an epitaxial relationship between the nitride nuclei and the oxide nanowire, being oriented with respect to the axial direction of the nanowires. The stress resulting from the strain due to lattice mismatch between oxide and nitride phases seems to control the critical size of the nitride nuclei within oxide nanowires. The photoluminescence data show that the resulting bandgap of the tungsten nitride nanowires was downshifted to 2.95 eV from 3.54 eV for tungsten oxide nanowires.

Phase Transformation Studies of Metal Oxide Nanowires

Single GaSb Nanowire Field Effect Transistors (NWFETs) were fabricated and their electrical transport
measurements were conducted at the temperatures ranging from 298 K to 503 K. The current on/off ratios as large as 3
orders of magnitude were observed. The Raman spectra and EDAX were performed on single wires to verify the GaSb
property before and after the transport study. The temperature dependent current-voltage characteristic shows
asymmetric current through the device due to asymmetric back-to-back Schottky contacts at the two ends of the wire.
Arrhenius plots revealed effective Schottky barrier heights around O Beff =0.53eV. Measurement conducted on back-gated nanowire transistors shows the polarity of nanowire to be n-type.

Alan Chin

Papers

Mechanisms of 1D crystal growth in reactive vapor transport: indium nitride nanowires.

Photoluminescence of GaN nanowires of different crystallographic orientations.

Charge transport and trap characterization in individual GaSb nanowires

Phase Transformation Studies of Metal Oxide Nanowires

Electrical and optical characterization of individual GaSb nanowires