Collaborative Research: Engineering the Morphology and Microstructure of Group III-V Compound Semiconducting Nanowires

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Proposal Title: Collaborative Research: Engineering the Morphology andMicrostructure of Group III-V Compound SemiconductingNanowiresInstitution: University of California-Los AngelesAbstract Date: 08/03/09The goal of this interdisciplinary collaborative research effort between UCLA and BrownUniversity is to quantitatively understand the mechanisms governing the growth ofgroup III-V compound semiconducting nanowire heterostructures and hence developstrategies to tailor their morphology, crystallinity, and chemistry. Semiconductingnanowires have recently gained considerable attention owing to their potential forapplications in optoelectronics, nanoelectronics, sensors, energy harvesting, andenergy storage. However, growth of desired multi-component nanowire heterostructuresis difficult due to kinetic instabilities occurring during growth. To address this issue, theproposed research will combine in situ (as well as ex situ) studies of nanowire growth asa function of temperature, time, flux, and catalyst composition withtheoretical/computational modeling. Simulated morphologies and structures will then becompared with experimental observations to quantitatively describe the morphological,structural, and compositional evolution during the growth of nanowires.If successful, the results of this research will provide a holistic understanding of thenanowire heterostructure formation and help develop technologies for the fabrication ofadvanced functional materials with desired properties. The proposed experimental andcomputational methods are general and applicable to investigate (and predict)nanostructure growth in other material systems as well as other synthesis (eg., solutionphase) methods. The results will be disseminated to enhance the understanding of thenanowire growth mechanisms. Videos of in situ observations and growth simulations willbe posted on the Web to promote interest in nanoscience and nanotechnology amongthe public. Graduate and engineering undergraduate students will benefit throughclassroom instruction and involvement in the research. High-school students will beengaged to provide them firsthand research experience that will encourage them topursue higher education in engineering