Growth of GaInAs/AlInAs heterostructure nanowires for long-wavelength photon emission.

We investigated the growth of GaInAs/AlInAs heterostructure nanowires on InP(111)B and Si(111) substrates in a metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy reactor. Au colloids were used to deposit Au catalysts 20 and 40 nm in diameter on the substrate surfaces. We obtained vertical GaInAs and AlInAs nanowires on InP(111)B surfaces. The GaInAs nanowires capped with GaAs/AlInAs layers show room-temperature photoluminescence. The peak exhibits a blue-shift when the Ga content in the core GaInAs nanowire is increased. For the GaInAs/AlInAs heterostructure growth, it is possible to change the Ga content sharply but Al also exists in the GaInAs layer regions. We also found that the ratios of Ga and Al contents to In content tend to increase and the axial growth rate to decrease along the nanowire toward the top. We were also able to make vertical GaInAs nanowires on Si(111) surfaces after a short growth of GaP and InP.