Investigation of metal particle-free gallium telluride nanowire growth using conventional CVD method

Gallium telluride (GaTe) is a direct bandgap compound semiconductor with the near-IR bandgap energy and unique optical properties. However, the conventional Vapor-Liquid-Solid (VLS) nanowire fabrication method using metal particle seed, is not a feasible way to fabricate optoelectronic devices due to the negative effect of metal particles presence on the optical properties of nanowires. In this work, GaTe nanowires were fabricated by the VLS method via a self-catalytic growth mechanism on silicon substrate without the use of metal particles. This procedure not only simplifíed the growth process, but also had no adverse effect on nanowires' optical properties. SEM, EDS, Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopies were used to characterize the morphological, elemental, crystal and optical properties. Morphological analysis showed numerous long narrow nanowires. EDS analysis revealed Ga and Te as dominant components. Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopies showed peaks attributed to GaTe and its bandgap, confirming their acceptable optical properties and potential for optoelectronic applications.