Growth, structural and optical properties of GaN/AlN and GaN/GaInN nanowire heterostructures

Abstract After discussing the GaN NW nucleation issue, we will present the structural properties of axial and radial (i.e. core/shell) GaN/AlN NW heterostructures and adress the issue of critical thickness during the growth of such heterostructures. Next, we will present the growth of InGaN NWs on a GaN NW base. It will be shown that the morphology and structural properties of the InGaN NW sections depend on the In content: for high In content a flat top is observed and plastic relaxation is occuring, with mismatch dislocations formed at the InGaN/GaN interface. By contrast, for In content below 25% InGaN NWs exhibit a pencil-like shape assigned to a purely elastic strain relaxation process…