p-Type InN nanowires

Architecture for Surface-Emitting Lasers with On-Demand Lasing Wavelength by Nanowire Optical Cavities

Despite the importance and exciting progress of surface-emitting (SE) semiconductor lasers, we have limited choices of lasing wavelength even today. From an application viewpoint, it is desirable to have an architecture that can allow SE lasing in a wide spectral range, based on the need of applications. Herein, we demonstrate a path for SE lasers with lasing wavelength on demand by exploiting III-nitride nanowire optical cavities formed by low-temperature selective area epitaxy (SAE), combined with fine-tuning of substrate patterns and photonic bands. Moreover, in this study, we focus on the device demonstration in the ultraviolet (UV) spectral range, considering the severe lag in developing SE lasers in the UV wavelength range compared to longer wavelengths, e.g., near-infrared (NIR), as well as the potential applications enabled by UV lasers such as solar blind optical wireless communications. Ultralow threshold wavelength-tunable SE UV lasing is achieved by optical pumping. Moreover, SE UV lasing under direct electric current injection is also achieved. This study not only represents an important step in the journey of SE UV laser development but, more importantly, it lays the ground for SE lasers with lasing wavelength on demand, broadly from NIR to UV.

First-principles study of indium nitride monolayers doped with alkaline earth metals

Element doping has been widely employed to modify the ground state properties of two-dimensional (2D) materials. In this work, the effects of doping with alkaline earth metals (AEMs) on the structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of indium nitride (InN) monolayers are investigated using first-principles calculations based on density functional theory. In a graphene-like honeycomb structure, the InN monolayer possesses good dynamical and thermal stability, and exhibits an indirect gap semiconductor character with a band gap of 0.37 (1.48) eV as determined by using the PBE(HSE06) functional. A single In vacancy leads to the emergence of a magnetic semiconductor character, where magnetic properties with a large total magnetic moment of 3.00 μB are produced mainly by the N atoms closest to the defect site. The incorporation of AEMs impurities causes local structural distortion due to the difference in atomic size, where Mg and Ca doping processes are energetically most favorable. Half-metallicity is induced by the partial occupancy of the N-2p orbital, which is a consequence of having one valence electron less. In these cases, the total magnetic moment of 1.00 μB mainly originates from N atoms neighboring the dopants. Further increasing the doping level preserves the half-metallic character, where N atoms play a key role on the magnetism of the highly doped systems. Results presented herein suggest the In replacement by AEMs impurities is an effective approach to make prospective spintronic 2D materials from InN monolayers.

Growth of uniform Mg-doped p-AlGaN nanowires using plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy technique for UV-A emitters

In this manuscript, we have shown the growth and extensive structural and optical characteristic of the uniformly Mg-doped Al_0.23Ga_0.77N (UV-A region,λ∼ 323 nm) nanowire. The Kelvin probe force microscopy was employed to determine the profile of holes in p-type AlGaN nanowires by measuring the work function changes induced by Mg incorporation. The influence of surface band bending on doping concentration has thoroughly been discussed. Our experiment confirms the homogeneous incorporation of Mg throughout the nanowire without any top surface Mg segregation. In this work, we have also demonstrated a comprehensive analysis of acceptor states induced thermal quenching behaviour in the optical transition of Mg-doped AlGaN nanowire. We propose a phenomenological model, based on the rate equation which confirms that achieving higher 'hole' (p-doping) concentration in AlGaN nanowire (>10¹⁸cm^-3) is more conducive than the planar counterpart if the growth of NWs is carried out at optimized process conditions. This rate equation-based model has also demonstrated the influence of sidewall surface passivation in those AlGaN nanowires.

AlGaN Nanowires for Ultraviolet Light-Emitting: Recent Progress, Challenges, and Prospects

In this paper, we discuss the recent progress made in aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN) nanowire ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The AlGaN nanowires used for such LED devices are mainly grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD); and various foreign substrates/templates have been investigated. Devices on Si so far exhibit the best performance, whereas devices on metal and graphene have also been investigated to mitigate various limitations of Si substrate, e.g., the UV light absorption. Moreover, patterned growth techniques have also been developed to grow AlGaN nanowire UV LED structures, in order to address issues with the spontaneously formed nanowires. Furthermore, to reduce the quantum confined Stark effect (QCSE), nonpolar AlGaN nanowire UV LEDs exploiting the nonpolar nanowire sidewalls have been demonstrated. With these recent developments, the prospects, together with the general challenges of AlGaN nanowire UV LEDs, are discussed in the end.

Mg and In Codoped p-type AlN Nanowires for pn Junction Realization

Efficient, mercury-free deep ultraviolet (DUV) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are becoming a crucial challenge for many applications such as water purification. For decades, the poor p-type doping and difficult current injection of Al-rich AlGaN-based DUV LEDs have limited their efficiency and therefore their use. We present here the significant increase in AlN p-doping thanks to Mg/In codoping, which leads to an order of magnitude higher Mg solubility limit in AlN nanowires (NWs). Optimal electrical activation of acceptor impurities has been further achieved by electron irradiation, resulting in tunnel conduction through the AlN NW p-n junction. The proposed theoretical scenario to account for enhanced Mg incorporation involves an easy ionization of In-vacancy complex associated with a negative charging of Mg in In vicinity. This leads to favored incorporation of negatively charged Mg into the AlN matrix, opening the path to the realization of highly efficient NW-based LEDs in the DUV range.

Ultrahigh Hole Mobility of Sn-Catalyzed GaSb Nanowires for High Speed Infrared Photodetectors

Owing to the relatively low hole mobility, the development of GaSb nanowire (NW) electronic and photoelectronic devices has stagnated in the past decade. During a typical catalyst-assisted chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, the adopted metallic catalyst can be incorporated into the NW body to act as a slight dopant, thus regulating the electrical properties of the NW. In this work, we demonstrate the use of Sn as a catalyst and dopant for GaSb NWs in the surfactant-assisted CVD growth process. The Sn-catalyzed zinc-blende GaSb NWs are thin, long, and straight with good crystallinity, resulting in a record peak hole mobility of 1028 cm² V^-1 s^-1. This high mobility is attributed to the slight doping of Sn atoms from the catalyst tip into the NW body, which is verified by the red-shifted photoluminescence peak of Sn-catalyzed GaSb NWs (0.69 eV) compared with that of Au-catalyzed NWs (0.74 eV). Furthermore, the parallel array NWs also show a high peak hole mobility of 170 cm² V^-1 s^-1, a high responsivity of 61 A W^-1, and fast rise and decay times of 195.1 and 380.4 μs, respectively, under the illumination of 1550 nm infrared light. All of the results demonstrate that the as-prepared Sn-catalyzed GaSb NWs are promising for application in next-generation electronics and optoelectronics.

Synthesis and Applications of III-V Nanowires

Low-dimensional semiconductor materials structures, where nanowires are needle-like one-dimensional examples, have developed into one of the most intensely studied fields of science and technology. The subarea described in this review is compound semiconductor nanowires, with the materials covered limited to III-V materials (like GaAs, InAs, GaP, InP,...) and III-nitride materials (GaN, InGaN, AlGaN,...). We review the way in which several innovative synthesis methods constitute the basis for the realization of highly controlled nanowires, and we combine this perspective with one of how the different families of nanowires can contribute to applications. One reason for the very intense research in this field is motivated by what they can offer to main-stream semiconductors, by which ultrahigh performing electronic (e.g., transistors) and photonic (e.g., photovoltaics, photodetectors or LEDs) technologies can be merged with silicon and CMOS. Other important aspects, also covered in the review, deals with synthesis methods that can lead to dramatic reduction of cost of fabrication and opportunities for up-scaling to mass production methods.

Recent advances in Sb-based III-V nanowires

Owing to the high mobility, narrow bandgap, strong spin-orbit coupling and large g-factor, Sb-based III-V nanowires (NWs) attracted significant interests in high speed electronics, long-wavelength photodetectors and quantum superconductivity in the past decade. In this review, we aim to give an integrated summarization about the recent advances in binary as well as ternary Sb-based III-V NWs, starting from the fundamental properties, NWs growth mechanism, typical synthetic methods to their applications in transistors, photodetectors, and Majorana fermions detection. Up to now, famous NWs growth techniques of solid-source chemical vapor deposition (CVD), molecular beam epitaxy, metal organic vapor phase epitaxy and metal organic CVD etc have been adopted and developed for the controllable growth of Sb-based III-V NWs. Several parameters including heating temperature, III/V ratio of source materials, growth temperature, catalyst size and kinds, and growth substrate play important roles on the morphology, position, diameter distribution, growth orientation and crystal phase of Sb-based III-V NWs. Furthermore, we discuss the photoelectrical applications of Sb-based III-V NWs such as field-effect-transistors, tunnel diode, low-power inverter, and infrared detectors etc. Importantly, due to the strongest spin-orbit interaction and giant g-factor among all III-V semiconductors, InSb with the geometry of one-dimension NW is considered as the most promising candidate for the detection of Majorana fermions. In the end, we also summarize the main challenges remaining in the field and put forward some suggestions for the future development of Sb-based III-V NWs.

Calculations of defect states in various sizes of InN nanowires

InN has received considerable attentions due to its small band-gap and unique properties in the III-nitride family. Understanding the effects of defects on optoelectronic properties of InN nanowire is essential for exploring its applications in future nanodevices. In this work, we have systematically calculated defect states in InN nanowires based on density-functional theory. Hydrogen passivation and several potential intrinsic point defects are considered in various sizes of nanowires, as well as charged defect states. For small-sized hexagonal nanowires, V _N at N-poor condition or N _In at N-rich condition is the most stable defect. Whereas for larger-sized nanowires, V _N and In_N defects are competing when the N chemical potential changes, showing obvious size effect of the defect stability on the nanowire surface. Those defect states change the electronic structure of the nanowires drastically by introducing empty bands or deep level and provide possibility to tailor the optical properties in terms of forming different stable defects.

Triaxially uniform high-quality Al x Ga(1-x)N (x ∼ 50%) nanowires on template free sapphire substrate

We have demonstrated the growth of high-quality Al _x Ga_(1-x)N (x ∼ 50%) nanowires (NWs) for the first time on the sapphire substrate without using GaN NWs as the template, by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. Our newly developed process elucidates that depending on the substrate temperature and V/III ratio an AlGaN network is formed on sapphire substrate prior to the NWs growth. We find that the ledges of this kinked shaped network act as nucleation sites for the NW growth. The present observations suggest that availability of nucleation sites and higher substrate temperature during growth are the key parameters for the growth of homogeneous AlGaN NWs on the sapphire substrates. Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, photoluminescence spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy analysis show that AlGaN NWs exhibit near-atomic scale compositional uniformity along the length as well as across the diameter.

Pristine and Cu decorated hexagonal InN monolayer, a promising candidate to detect and scavenge SF6 decompositions based on first-principle study

We carried out the first-principle study of four types of SF₆ decompositions adsorbed on pristine and Cu atom decorated hexagonal InN monolayer. The adsorption structures, adsorption energy, electron transfer, band structure, density of states and desorption properties were discussed to evaluate the possible application of InN monolayer in field of adsorbent and gas sensor. The results revealed that the pristine InN monolayer has the largest adsorption energy to SO₂ with evident chemical interactions. The introduction of Cu adatom on InN monolayer significantly enhanced the chemical interactions between the InN monolayer and the SO₂, SOF₂, SO₂F₂ gas molecule but declined the adsorption energy of HF. We also investigated the electronic properties of all adsorption configurations and estimated the desorption time of every gas molecule from pristine and Cu decorated InN monolayer to evaluate the potential application in noxious gas detecting and scavenging in gas insulated switch-gear (GIS).

Selective growth of ordered hexagonal InN nanorods

Well-ordered and vertically aligned InN nanorods with high aspect ratios are synthesized by hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) using the selective area growth (SAG) approach.

Quantified hole concentration in AlGaN nanowires for high-performance ultraviolet emitters

p-Type doping in wide bandgap and new classes of ultra-wide bandgap materials has long been a scientific and engineering problem. The challenges arise from the large activation energy of dopants and high densities of dislocations in materials. We report here, a significantly enhanced p-type conduction using high-quality AlGaN nanowires. For the first time, the hole concentration in Mg-doped AlGaN nanowires is quantified. The incorporation of Mg into AlGaN was verified by correlation with photoluminescence and Raman measurements. The open-circuit potential measurements further confirmed the p-type conductivity, while Mott-Schottky experiments measured a hole concentration of 1.3 × 1019 cm-3. These results from photoelectrochemical measurements allow us to design prototype ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) incorporating the AlGaN quantum-disks-in-nanowire and an optimized p-type AlGaN contact layer for UV-transparency. The ∼335 nm LEDs exhibited a low turn-on voltage of 5 V with a series resistance of 32 Ω, due to the efficient p-type doping of the AlGaN nanowires. The bias-dependent Raman measurements further revealed the negligible self-heating of devices. This study provides an attractive solution to evaluate the electrical properties of AlGaN, which is applicable to other wide bandgap nanostructures. Our results are expected to open doors to new applications for wide and ultra-wide bandgap materials.

Kinetically controlled transition from 2D nanostructured films to 3D multifaceted InN nanocrystals on GaN(0001)

A 2D-to-3D transition from nanostructured films to multifaceted InN nanocrystals for growth on GaN(0001) is accompanied by a 30-fold enhancement of InN photoluminescence emission.

Leakage Current Mechanism of InN-Based Metal-Insulator-Semiconductor Structures with Al2O3 as Dielectric Layers

InN-based metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) structures were prepared with Al2O3 as the gate oxides. Surface morphologies of InN films are improved with increasing Mg doping concentrations. At high frequencies, the measured capacitance densities deviate from the real ones with turning frequencies inversely proportional to series resistances. An ultralow leakage current density of 1.35 × 10(-9) A/cm(2) at 1 V is obtained. Fowler-Nordheim tunneling is the main mechanism of the leakage current at high fields, while Schottky emission dominates at low fields. Capacitance densities shift with different biases, indicating that the InN-based MIS structures can serve as potential candidates for MIS field-effect transistors.

Excitation dependent Raman studies of self-seeded grown InN nanoparticles with different carrier concentration

High quality InN nanoparticles are grown using an atmospheric chemical vapour deposition technique via a self-seeded catalytic approach in the temperature range of 580-650 °C. In this temperature region, the nucleation barrier of InN is overcome by seeding low density In nanoparticles prior to introduction of reactive NH3. Samples with increasing carrier densities are grown, with the help of increasing growth temperature, to understand the role of carrier density in the optical phonon structure. Near-resonance Raman spectra show completely different phonon pictures compared to those for the off-resonance spectra. A Raman forbidden mode of B1(high), because of the possible breakdown of selection rules in the near-resonance conditions, is invoked for the first time. The intensity and frequency of this mode strongly depend on the carrier concentration in the sample. In off-resonance conditions, the A1(LO) mode for the sample with higher carrier concentration is dominated by Fano interference rather than plasmon-phonon coupling. Variation of the intensity of the B1(high) mode is correlated with a band filling effect, which is substantiated by the luminescence studies of the InN samples with different carrier concentrations.

Self-Catalyzed Growth of Vertically Aligned InN Nanorods by Metal-Organic Vapor Phase Epitaxy

Vertically aligned hexagonal InN nanorods were grown mask-free by conventional metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy without any foreign catalyst. The In droplets on top of the nanorods indicate a self-catalytic vapor-liquid-solid growth mode. A systematic study on important growth parameters has been carried out for the optimization of nanorod morphology. The nanorod N-polarity, induced by high temperature nitridation of the sapphire substrate, is necessary to achieve vertical growth. Hydrogen, usually inapplicable during InN growth due to formation of metallic indium, and silane are needed to enhance the aspect ratio and to reduce parasitic deposition beside the nanorods on the sapphire surface. The results reveal many similarities between InN and GaN nanorod growth showing that the process despite the large difference in growth temperature is similar. Transmission electron microscopy, spatially resolved energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy have been performed to analyze the structural properties. Spatially resolved cathodoluminescence investigations are carried out to verify the optical activity of the InN nanorods. The InN nanorods are expected to be the material of choice for high-efficiency hot carrier solar cells.

Nanogenerators based on vertically aligned InN nanowires

Piezoelectric nanogenerators (NGs) based on vertically aligned InN nanowires (NWs) are fabricated, characterized, and evaluated. In these NGs, arrays of p-type and intrinsic InN NWs prepared by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) demonstrate similar piezoelectric properties. The p-type NGs show 160% more output current and 70% more output power product than the intrinsic NGs. The features driving performance enhancement are reduced electrostatic losses due to better NW array morphology, improved electromechanical energy conversion efficiency due to smaller NW diameters, and the higher impedance of intrinsic NGs due to elevated NW surface charge levels. These findings highlight the potential of InN based NGs as a power source for self-powered systems and the importance of NW morphology and surface state in overall NG performance.

Three-Dimensional Quantum Confinement of Charge Carriers in Self-Organized AlGaN Nanowires: A Viable Route to Electrically Injected Deep Ultraviolet Lasers

We report on the molecular beam epitaxial growth and structural characterization of self-organized AlGaN nanowire arrays on Si substrate with high luminescence efficiency emission in the deep ultraviolet (UV) wavelength range. It is found that, with increasing Al concentration, atomic-scale compositional modulations can be realized, leading to three-dimensional quantum confinement of charge carriers. By further exploiting the Anderson localization of light, we have demonstrated, for the first time, electrically injected AlGaN lasers in the deep UV band operating at room temperature. The laser operates at ∼289 nm and exhibits a threshold of 300 A/cm(2), which is significantly smaller compared to the previously reported electrically injected AlGaN multiple quantum well lasers.

InN-based heterojunction photodetector with extended infrared response

The combination of ZnO, InN, and GaN epitaxial layers is explored to provide long wavelength photodetection capability in the GaN based materials. Growth temperature optimization was performed to obtain the best quality of InN epitaxial layer in the MOCVD system. The temperature dependent photoluminescence (PL) can provide the information about thermal quenching in the InN PL transitions and at least two non-radiative processes can be observed. X-ray diffraction and energy dispersive spectroscopy are applied to confirm the inclusion of indium and the formation of InN layer. The band alignment of such system shows a typical double heterojunction, which is preferred in optoelectronic device operation. The photodetector manufactured by this ZnO/GaN/InN layer can exhibit extended long-wavelength quantum efficiency, as high as 3.55%, and very strong photocurrent response under solar simulator illumination.

Alternating-Current InGaN/GaN Tunnel Junction Nanowire White-Light Emitting Diodes

The current LED lighting technology relies on the use of a driver to convert alternating current (AC) to low-voltage direct current (DC) power, a resistive p-GaN contact layer to inject positive charge carriers (holes) for blue light emission, and rare-earth doped phosphors to down-convert blue photons into green/red light, which have been identified as some of the major factors limiting the device efficiency, light quality, and cost. Here, we show that multiple-active region phosphor-free InGaN nanowire white LEDs connected through a polarization engineered tunnel junction can fundamentally address the afore-described challenges. Such a p-GaN contact-free LED offers the benefit of carrier regeneration, leading to enhanced light intensity and reduced efficiency droop. Moreover, through the monolithic integration of p-GaN up and p-GaN down nanowire LED structures on the same substrate, we have demonstrated, for the first time, AC operated LEDs on a Si platform, which can operate efficiently in both polarities (positive and negative) of applied voltage.

Surface Emitting, High Efficiency Near-Vacuum Ultraviolet Light Source with Aluminum Nitride Nanowires Monolithically Grown on Silicon

To date, it has remained challenging to realize electrically injected light sources in the vacuum ultraviolet wavelength range (∼200 nm or shorter), which are important for a broad range of applications, including sensing, surface treatment, and photochemical analysis. In this Letter, we have demonstrated such a light source with molecular beam epitaxially grown aluminum nitride (AlN) nanowires on low cost, large area Si substrate. Detailed angle dependent electroluminescence studies suggest that, albeit the light is TM polarized, the dominant light emission direction is from the nanowire top surface, that is, along the c axis, due to the strong light scattering effect. Such an efficient surface emitting device was not previously possible using conventional c-plane AlN planar structures. The AlN nanowire LEDs exhibit an extremely large electrical efficiency (>85%), which is nearly ten times higher than the previously reported AlN planar devices. Our detailed studies further suggest that the performance of AlN nanowire LEDs is predominantly limited by electron overflow. This study provides important insight on the fundamental emission characteristics of AlN nanowire LEDs and also offers a viable path to realize an efficient surface emitting near-vacuum ultraviolet light source through direct electrical injection.

Aluminum nitride nanowire light emitting diodes: Breaking the fundamental bottleneck of deep ultraviolet light sources

Despite broad interest in aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN) optoelectronic devices for deep ultraviolet (DUV) applications, the performance of conventional Al(Ga)N planar devices drastically decays when approaching the AlN end, including low internal quantum efficiencies (IQEs) and high device operation voltages. Here we show that these challenges can be addressed by utilizing nitrogen (N) polar Al(Ga)N nanowires grown directly on Si substrate. By carefully tuning the synthesis conditions, a record IQE of 80% can be realized with N-polar AlN nanowires, which is nearly ten times higher compared to high quality planar AlN. The first 210 nm emitting AlN nanowire light emitting diodes (LEDs) were achieved, with a turn on voltage of about 6 V, which is significantly lower than the commonly observed 20 – 40 V. This can be ascribed to both efficient Mg doping by controlling the nanowire growth rate and N-polarity induced internal electrical field that favors hole injection. In the end, high performance N-polar AlGaN nanowire LEDs with emission wavelengths covering the UV-B/C bands were also demonstrated.

Synthesis, microstructure, growth mechanism and photoluminescence of high quality [0001]-oriented InN nanowires and nanonecklaces

Novel indium nitride (InN) nanowires and nanonecklaces were grown on a single substrate and characterised, and the growth mechanism and of the nanonecklaces was studied.

Reducing Mg acceptor activation-energy in Al(0.83)Ga(0.17)N disorder alloy substituted by nanoscale (AlN)₅/(GaN)₁ superlattice using Mg(Ga) δ-doping: Mg local-structure effect

Improving p-type doping efficiency in Al-rich AlGaN alloys is a worldwide problem for the realization of AlGaN-based deep ultraviolet optoelectronic devices. In order to solve this problem, we calculate Mg acceptor activation energy and investigate its relationship with Mg local structure in nanoscale (AlN)₅/(GaN)₁ superlattice (SL), a substitution for Al_0.83Ga_0.17N disorder alloy, using first-principles calculations. A universal picture to reduce acceptor activation energy in wide-gap semiconductors is given for the first time. By reducing the volume of the acceptor local structure slightly, its activation energy can be decreased remarkably. Our results show that Mg acceptor activation energy can be reduced significantly from 0.44 eV in Al_0.83Ga_0.17N disorder alloy to 0.26 eV, very close to the Mg acceptor activation energy in GaN, and a high hole concentration in the order of 10¹⁹ cm⁻³ can be obtained in (AlN)₅/(GaN)₁ SL by Mg_Ga δ-doping owing to GaN-monolayer modulation. We thus open up a new way to reduce Mg acceptor activation energy and increase hole concentration in Al-rich AlGaN.

p-Type dopant incorporation and surface charge properties of catalyst-free GaN nanowires revealed by micro-Raman scattering and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Micro-Raman scattering and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were employed to investigate Mg-doped GaN nanowires. With the increase of Mg doping level, pronounced Mg-induced local vibrational modes were observed. The evolution of longitudinal optical phonon-plasmon coupled mode, together with detailed X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies, show that the near-surface region of nanowires can be transformed from weakly n-type to p-type with the increase of Mg doping.

Optical sensor based on a single CdS nanobelt

In this paper, an optical sensor based on a cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanobelt has been developed. The CdS nanobelt was synthesized by the vapor phase transportation (VPT) method. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) results revealed that the nanobelt had a hexagonal wurtzite structure of CdS and presented good crystal quality. A single nanobelt Schottky contact optical sensor was fabricated by the electron beam lithography (EBL) technique, and the device current-voltage results showed back-to-back Schottky diode characteristics. The photosensitivity, dark current and the decay time of the sensor were 4 × 10⁴, 31 ms and 0.2 pA, respectively. The high photosensitivity and the short decay time were because of the exponential dependence of photocurrent on the number of the surface charges and the configuration of the back to back Schottky junctions.

Band alignment and Schottky behaviour of InN/GaN heterostructure grown by low-temperature low-energy nitrogen ion bombardment

InN/GaN heterostructure based Schottky diodes are fabricated by low energetic nitrogen ions at 300 °C.