GaAs:Mn Nanowires Grown by Molecular Beam Epitaxy of (Ga,Mn)As at MnAs Segregation Conditions

• Published in: Nano letters Vol. 7; no. 9; pp. 2724 - 2728
• Main Authors: Sadowski, Janusz, Dłużewski, Piotr, Kret, Sławomir, Janik, Elżbieta, Łusakowska, Elżbieta, Kanski, Janusz, Presz, Adam, Terki, Ferial, Charar, Salam, Tang, Dong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 01.09.2007
• Subjects: Arsenicals - chemistry; Arsenicals - radiation effects; Condensed Matter; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Crystallization - methods; Engineering and Technology; Exact sciences and technology; Gallium - chemistry; Gallium - radiation effects; Heavy Ions; Macromolecular Substances - chemistry; Magnetic properties and materials; Magnetic properties of nanostructures; Manganese - chemistry; Manganese - radiation effects; Materials Science; Materials Testing; Methods of nanofabrication; Molecular Conformation; Nano Technology; Nanocrystalline materials; Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization; Nanostructures - chemistry; Nanostructures - radiation effects; Nanostructures - ultrastructure; Nanotechnology - methods; Nanoteknik; Particle Size; Physics; Self-assembly; Small particles and nanoscale materials; Studies of specific magnetic materials; Surface Properties; Teknik; Gallium arsenides; Crystallographic direction; Ferromagnetic materials; Self-assembly; Manganese arsenides; Phase separation; Molecular beam epitaxy; Nanowires; Nanodot; Nanostructured materials; Nanomaterial synthesis; Magnetic properties; III-V semiconductors; LIQUID-SOLID MECHANISM; SEMICONDUCTORS; NANORODS
• ISSN: 1530-6984; 1530-6992; 1530-6992
• DOI: 10.1021/nl071190f

GaAs:Mn nanowires were obtained on GaAs(001) and GaAs(111)B substrates by molecular beam epitaxial growth of (Ga,Mn)As at conditions leading to MnAs phase separation. Their density is proportional to the density of catalyzing MnAs nanoislands, which can be controlled by the Mn flux and/or the substrate temperature. After deposition corresponding to a 200 nm thick (Ga,Mn)As layer the nanowires are around 700 nm long. Their shapes are tapered, with typical diameters around 30 nm at the base and 7 nm at the tip. The wires grow along the 〈111〉 direction, i.e., along the surface normal on GaAs(111)B and inclined on GaAs(001). In the latter case they tend to form branches. Being rooted in the ferromagnetic semiconductor (Ga,Mn)As, the nanowires combine one-dimensional properties with the magnetic properties of (Ga,Mn)As and provide natural, self-assembled structures for nanospintronics.