Study of using aqueous NH3 to synthesize GaN nanowires on Si(1 1 1) by thermal chemical vapor deposition

High-quality GaN nanowires (NWs) and zigzag-shaped NWs were grown on catalyst-free Si(1 1 1) substrate by thermal chemical vapor deposition (TCVD). Gallium (Ga) metal and aqueous NH3 solution are used as a source of materials. Ga vapor was directly reacts with gaseous NH3 under controlled nitrogen flow at 1050 °C. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showed that the morphology of GaN displayed various densities of NWs and zigzag NWs depending on the gas flow rate, and increased nitrogen flow rate caused density reduction. The GaN NWs exhibited clear X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) peaks that corresponded to GaN with hexagonal wurtzite structures. The photoluminescence spectra showed that the ultraviolet band emission of GaN NWs had a strong near band-edge emission (NBE) at 361–367 nm. Yellow band emissions were observed at low and high flow rates due to nitrogen and Ga vacancies, respectively. Moderate N2 flow resulted in a strong NBE emission and a high optical quality of the NWs. This study shows the possibility of low-cost synthesis of GaN nanostructures on Si wafers using aqueous NH3 solution.

► This study presents a facile, low cost and safe method to synthesize high quality GaN NWs, by using NH3 solution as N source.
► Moderating the N2 flow rate improved the crystalline quality of the NWs and also produced zigzag shaped NWs.
► Raman spectra showed that the synthesized GaN NWs had hexagonal wurtzite structures as a result of increased tensile stress.
► By moderating N2 flow, strong NBE emission peaks at about 364 nm and YB is subsided.