Untangling the role of oxide in Ga-assisted growth of GaAs nanowires on Si substrates

TL;DR

This study examines how different oxide types and processing conditions affect Ga-assisted GaAs nanowire growth on silicon, providing insights for better integration of GaAs on Si platforms.

Contribution

It systematically analyzes the role of oxide properties and growth parameters in nanowire formation, advancing understanding for improved semiconductor integration.

Findings

Critical oxide thickness varies with oxide type and processing.

Different growth conditions are required for different oxides.

Oxide characteristics influence nanowire growth success.

Abstract

The influence of the oxide in Ga-assisted growth of GaAs nanowires on Si substrates is investigated. Three different types of oxides with different structure and chemistry are considered. We observe that the critical oxide thicknesses needed for achieving nanowire growth depends on the nature of oxide and how it is processed. Additionally, we find that different growth conditions such as temperature and Ga rate are needed for successful nanowire growth on different oxides. We generalize the results in terms of the characteristics of the oxides such as surface roughness, stoichiometry and thickness. These results constitute a step further towards the integration of GaAs technology on the Si platform.