Synthesis of GaN nanowires by ammoniation of Ga2O3 films on Nb layer deposited on Si(1 1 1) substrates

Single-crystalline GaN nanowires have been successfully synthesized on Si(1 1 1) substrates by magnetron sputtering through ammoniation of Ga2O3/Nb films at 900 degrees C in a quartz tube. The as-synthesized GaN nanowires are confirmed to be single-crystalline GaN with wurtzite structure by X-ray diffraction (XRD), selected-area electron diffraction (SAED) and field-emission transmission electron microscopy (FETEM); scanning electron microscopy (SEM) shows that the GaN nanowires are smooth, with diameters of about 50 nm and lengths typically up to several microns, which could provide an attractive potential for incorporation in future GaN electronic devices into Si-based large-scale integrated circuits. Finally, the growth mechanism of GaN nanowires is also briefly discussed. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.