Synthesis of GaPO4-GaN Coaxial Nanowires

GaPO4-GaN coaxial nanowires were synthesized by two-step chemical vapor deposition method using H2 and NH3 as reactant gas in turn at 950°C. The morphology and microstructures of the GaPO4-GaN coaxial nanowires were studied by scanning elctron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The nanowires have an average diameter of ∼15 nm and length of hundreds of nanometers. The core is GaPO4 crystal and the outer shell is GaN crystal. The formation mechanism was discussed and the key factors controlling the growth are temperature and the concentration of reactant gases. These coaxial nanowires may have potential application for piezoluminescence nano-devices, and the two-step synthetic technique could be used to grow rationally other 1D GaN-based nanowire heterostructures.