Defect Free PbTe Nanowires Grown by Molecular Beam Epitaxy on GaAs(111)B Substrates

Abstract

The molecular beam epitaxial growth of PbTe nanowires oil GaAs(111)B substrates is reported. The growth process was based oil the Au-catalyzed vapor-liquid-solid mechanism. These nanowires grow along the [100] axis; they are perpendicular to the substrate, have tapered shapes, and have diameters of about 90 rim at the base and 60 run at the top. High resolution transmission electron microscopy pictures reveal that the PbTe nanowires have a rock-salt structure and, in contrast to the one-dimensional structures of III-V and II-VI compound semiconductors such as GaAs. InAs, or ZnTe, are free from stacking faults. A theoretical analysis of these experimental findings, which is based oil ab initio modeling of the PbTe nanowires, is also presented.