Zn2GeO4/SnO2 nanowire architecture: A correlative spatially resolved X-ray study

TL;DR

This study employs a synchrotron nanobeam probe to analyze the local structure, composition, and luminescence of Zn2GeO4/SnO2 nanowires, revealing impurity effects and heterogeneity in a catalyst-free, skewer-shaped architecture.

Contribution

First application of correlative spatially-resolved X-ray analysis to Zn2GeO4/SnO2 nanowires with a novel skewer-shaped structure.

Findings

Impurities influence optical properties of heterostructures

Heterostructures synthesized via catalyst-free thermal evaporation

Skewer-shaped architecture formed by Plateau-Rayleigh instability

Abstract

Wide bandgap semiconductor heterostructures based on nanowires have attracted great interest as one of the nanoscale building blocks for the development of novel optoelectronic devices. Owing to the critical role of heterogeneities and structural imperfections in the optoelectronic properties, it has become a challenge to investigate in detail the local structure and elemental composition of these systems. Typically, transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy are applied to address such issues. Here, using a synchrotron nanobeam probe, we show a correlative spatially-resolved study of the composition, luminescence and local structure of a Zn2GeO4/SnO2 nanowire-based system. Unlike other works, the heterostructures were synthesized by an effective catalyst-free thermal evaporation method and present a skewer-shaped architecture formed by Plateau-Rayleigh instability. Our results highlight the role of diffused impurities on the optical properties of the heterostructure and open new avenues for further heterogeneity studies using the X-ray nanoprobe.