Structural evolution of self‐assisted GaAs nanowires grown on Si(111)

GaAs nanowires are grown on Si(111) by self‐assisted molecular beam epitaxy, and the ratio between wurtzite and zinc‐blende phases is determined as function of nanowire length using asymmetric X‐ray diffraction. We show that under the applied growth conditions, nanowires grow in both phases during the initial stage of growth, whereas the zinc‐blende content increases with growth time and dominates in long nanowires. Compared to the zinc‐blende units, the vertical lattice parameter of the wurtzite segments is 0.7% larger, as measured by the positions of respective diffraction peaks. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Why does wurtzite form in nanowires of III-V zinc blende semiconductors?

We develop a nucleation-based model to explain the formation of the wurtzite phase during the catalyzed growth of freestanding nanowires of zinc blende semiconductors. We show that in vapor-liquid-solid nanowire growth, nucleation generally occurs preferentially at the triple phase line. This entails major differences between zinc blende and wurtzite nuclei. Depending on the pertinent interface energies, wurtzite nucleation is favored at high liquid supersaturation. This explains our systematic observation of zinc blende during early growth of gold-catalyzed GaAs nanowires.     

纳米硫化锌球壳的高压相变研究

 采用同步辐射能量色散X射线衍射（EDEX）技术和金刚石对顶砧高压装置,对纳米硫化锌球壳进行了原位高压X射线衍射实验。最高压力达33.3 GPa。常压下纳米硫化锌球壳为纤锌矿结构和闪锌矿结构共存的混相结构。压力达到11.2 GPa时,纳米硫化锌空心球中的纤锌矿结构全部转变为闪锌矿结构。压力达到16.0 GPa时,发生了由闪锌矿结构向岩盐矿结构的相变,在17.5 GPa和21.0 GPa时分别出现未知峰,33.3 GPa时基本完全转变为岩盐矿结构。两个相变均为可逆相变。     

Impurity-stabilized zinc-blende phase of wurtzite compounds

We propose here a new approach to stabilizing the cubic zinc blende phase of semiconductors that are usually more stable in the hexagonal wurtzite phase. We show that this can be done by taking advantage of the valence and conduction band offsets between the cubic and the hexagonal phases. Due to this band offset, it will cost less energy to insert electrons by shallow donors, or insert holes by 3d acceptors in the zinc blende structure, thus stabilizing the cubic phase.     

Phase stability and electronic behavior of MgS,MgSe and MgTe compounds

Ab initio calculations based on density functional theory using the full-potential linearized augmented plane wave method have been carried out to find the structural stability of different crystallographic phases, the pressure-induced phase transition and the electronic properties of the magnesium chalcogenides MgS, MgSe and MgTe. The zinc blende (B3), wurtzite (B4), rock salt (B1), CsCl (B2), NiAs (B8), β-BeO, 5-5 and TiP crystal structures are considered and the exchange and correlation potential is treated by the generalized-gradient approximation using the Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof parameterization. Moreover, the modified Becke-Johnson (mBJ) scheme is also applied to optimize the corresponding potential for the band structure calculations. Results show that the wurtzite phase is the stable structure in the ground state adopted by MgSe and MgTe compounds while MgS adopts the rock-salt one. Moreover, the band structure calculations reveal a metallic behavior in the CsCl structure for all the compounds, whereas for the other structures, a semiconducting behavior is observed.     

Polytypism in GaAs nanowires: determination of the interplanar spacing of wurtzite GaAs by X‐ray diffraction

In GaAs nanowires grown along the cubic [111]_c direction, zinc blende and wurtzite arrangements have been observed in their stacking sequence, since the energetic barriers for nucleation are typically of similar order of magnitude. It is known that the interplanar spacing of the (111)_c Ga (or As) planes in the zinc blende polytype varies slightly from the wurtzite polytype. However, different values have been reported in the literature. Here, the ratio of the interplanar spacing of these polytypes is extracted based on X‐ray diffraction measurements for thin GaAs nanowires with a mean diameter of 18–25 nm. The measurements are performed with a nano‐focused beam which facilitates the separation of the scattering of nanowires and of parasitic growth. The interplanar spacing of the (111)_c Ga (or As) planes in the wurtzite arrangement in GaAs nanowires is observed to be 0.66% ± 0.02% larger than in the zinc blende arrangement.     

First principles study of the structural,electronic, mechanical and superconducting properties of WX (X=C,N)

The structural, electronic, mechanical and superconducting properties of tungsten carbide (WC) and tungsten nitride (WN) are investigated using first principles calculations based on density functional theory (DFT). The computed ground state properties, such as equilibrium lattice constant and cell volume, are in good agreement with the available experimental data. A pressure induced structural phase transition is observed in both tungsten carbide and nitride, from a tungsten carbide phase (WC) to a zinc blende phase (ZB), and from a zinc blende phase (ZB) to a wurtzite phase (WZ). The electronic structure reveals that these materials are metallic at ambient conditions. The calculated elastic constants obey the Born-Huang criteria, suggesting that they are mechanically stable at normal and high pressure. Also, the superconducting transition temperature is estimated for the WC and WN in stable structures at atmospheric pressure.     

Pressure-induced phase transition in wurtzite ZnS: An ab initio constant pressure study

We study the pressure-induced phase transition of wurtzite ZnS using a constant pressure ab initio technique. A first-order phase transition into a rocksalt state at 30–35 GPa is observed in the constant pressure simulation. We also investigate the stability of wurtzite (WZ) and zinc-blende (ZB) phases from energy–volume calculations and Gibbs free energies at zero temperature and find that both structures show nearly similar equations of state and transform into a rocksalt structure around 14 GPa, in agreement with experiments. Additionally, we examine the influence of pressure on the electronic structure of the wurtzite and zinc-blende ZnS crystals and find that their band gap energies exhibit similar tendency and increase with increasing pressure. The calculated pressure coefficients and deformation potential are found to be comparable with experiments.     

Self-consistent model of nanowire growth and crystal structure with regard to the adatom diffusion

A self-consistent model of growth and structure of semiconductor nanowires is proposed. The crystal phase of group III–V semiconductor nanowires is studied. The critical radius of the transition from the hexagonal wurtzite (WZ) structure to the cubic structure of zinc blende (ZB) type is calculated as a function of parameters of the system of materials and the gaseous medium supersaturation. The model presented here is applicable to both gas-phase and molecular beam epitaxies and allows one to calculate the probability of formation of the WZ and ZB phases under various deposition conditions.     

Structural stability,electronic structure and mechanical properties of 4d transition metal nitrides TMN (TM=Ru,Rh, Pd)

Ab initio calculations are performed to investigate the structural stability, electronic, structural and mechanical properties of 4d transition metal nitrides TMN (TM=Ru, Rh, Pd) for five different crystal structures, namely NaCl, CsCl, zinc blende, NiAs and wurtzite. Among the considered structures, zinc blende structure is found to be the most stable one among all three nitrides at normal pressure. A structural phase transition from ZB to NiAs phase is predicted at a pressure of 104 GPa, 50.5 GPa and 56 GPa for RuN, RhN and PdN respectively. The electronic structure reveals that these nitrides are metallic. The calculated elastic constants indicate that these nitrides are mechanically stable at ambient condition.     

Off‐resonance Raman analysis of wurtzite CdS ground to the nanoscale: structural and size‐related effects

Different techniques were used to follow the transformation of CdS platelets during grinding and under hydrostatic pressure. X‐ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy revealed that the platelets included zinc blende (cubic) CdS nanodomains dispersed in a wurtzite (hexagonal) single‐crystalline matrix. Extended grinding led to a decrease of the grain size and to a progressive transformation of the hexagonal stacking into a cubic one. The same phase transition was observed up to 9 GPa under hydrostatic pressure. Off‐resonance Raman spectra collected at different stages of the transition led us to connect band groups that were usually overlooked (in resonance conditions) or considered separately. They all probe the stacking disorder and their intensity can be related to the density of stacking faults. Off‐resonance Raman spectroscopy offers a way of probing the optical properties of CdS (and, more generally, layered semiconductors) as a function of the structure and of the confinement of vibrations by structural defects. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

First principles study of structural stability,electronic structure and mechanical properties of ReN and TcN

The crystal structure, structural stability, electronic and mechanical properties of ReN and TcN are investigated using first principles calculations. We have considered five different crystal structures: NaCl, zinc blende (ZB), NiAs, tungsten carbide (WC) and wurtzite (WZ). Among these ZB phase is found to be the lowest energy phase for ReN and TcN at normal pressure. Pressure induced structural phase transitions from ZB to WZ phase at 214 GPa in ReN and ZB to NiAs phase at 171 GPa in TcN are predicted. The electronic structure reveals that both ReN and TcN are metallic in nature. The computed elastic constants indicate that both the nitrides are mechanically stable. As ReN in NiAs phase has high bulk and shear moduli and low Poisson's ratio, it is found to be a potential ultra incompressible super hard material.     

BeO高压相变和声子谱的第一性原理计算

采用第一性原理方法计算了BeO在零温时的高压相变和三种结构在零温零压时的声子谱.相变的计算表明,在122GPa左右的压力下BeO会发生从纤锌矿(B4)结构到氯化钠(B1)结构的相变,而闪锌矿(B3)结构在零温零压下是一种可能的亚稳态结构.采用冷声子方法计算了这三种结构的BeO在零温零压下的声子谱.计算结果表明:B1结构在零温零压下是一种不稳定的结构;尽管B4结构和B3结构具有明显的相似性,仍然可以通过声子谱来很好的区分.最后根据准简谐近似理论计算得到了BeO的高温高压相图.     

Impact of the liquid phase shape on the structure of III-V nanowires

The III-V nanowire structure (zinc blende or wurtzite) grown by the vapor-liquid-solid process is shown to be highly dependent on the parameters which shape the droplet at the top of the nanowire. Under conditions that the droplet volume does not exceed a certain value, it is demonstrated that when the nucleation of the solid starts at the solid-liquid-vapor triple line, a relatively large droplet volume and low wetting angle favor the formation of the wurtzite structure. We show that the effective V/III flux ratio is the primary parameter controlling the structure.     

Pressure-induced phase transition of zinc-blende AlN: An ab initio molecular dynamics study

An ab initio constant pressure technique is carried out to study the pressure-induced phase transition of the zinc blende AlN (aluminum nitride). A first order phase transformation into a rock salt structure is observed in the constant pressure simulations. The transformation is accompanied by an initial tetragonal distortion and a subsequent shearing, similar to that found in the other zinc blende structured materials. This phase transition should occur around 6.2 GPa based upon the enthalpy calculations.     

Ab initio total energy calculation of the dynamical stability of noble metal carbides

The structural, electronic, vibrational and thermodynamical properties of transition metal carbides RuC, RhC, PdC and AgC are investigated using the plane-wave pseudopotentials method within the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) in the frame of density functional theory (DFT). There is a good agreement between present theoretical and available experimental theoretical data in the case of ground state properties such as lattice parameter and bulk modulus. The electronic band structure of these compounds show that all compounds except RuC in zinc blende phase are metallic in nature. RuC in zinc blende phase is semiconducting in nature with an indirect band gap. The phonon properties of RhC, PdC and AgC are investigated for the first time. The phonon frequencies in the phonon dispersion curves are positive throughout the Brillouin zone for zinc blende RuC and AgC and rocksalt RhC and PdC indicating dynamical stability for these compounds in the said phases. Temperature variation of thermodynamical properties for noble metal carbides are calculated and discussed.     

Optical absorption and electron spin resonance of Co2+ in cubic,hexagonal and 4H polytype zinc sulfide

Electron spin resonance and optical absorption measurements are reported for Co²⁺ in structurally pure single crystals of cubic, hexagonal, and 4H polytype ZnS. Co²⁺ spectra corresponding to the four different cation sites expected for these structures were observed, i.e. a cubic center from zinc blende, an axial center from wurtzite, and two different axial centers from the 4H polytype host. The energy of the optical ⁴A₂-⁴T₂ transition and the spin Hamiltonian parameters show characteristic differences for these four centers, which are discussed.     

Structure and dynamics of octamethyl-ethinyl-ferrocene: an organometallic rotator phase

The onset of dynamics and the structural changes of octamethyl–ethinyl-ferrocene around a solid–solid phase transition at 248 K have been investigated using the novel technique of quasielastic nuclear forward scattering (QNFS) in a temperature range between 61 and 257 K at a photon energy of 14.413 keV, as well as X-ray powder diffraction at various energies. A pronounced hysteresis for both the dynamical and the structural properties is observed and confirmed by differential-scanning calorimetry. We assign the observed phenomena to a first-order transition from a low-symmetry low-temperature phase to a high-symmetry high-temperature plastically crystalline phase with nearly cubic symmetry. Possible mechanisms for this transition are discussed in the light of our results.     

Selected growth of cubic and hexagonal GaN epitaxial films on polar MgO(111)

Selected molecular beam epitaxy of zinc blende (111) or wurtzite (0001) GaN films on polar MgO(111) is achieved depending on whether N or Ga is deposited first. The cubic stacking is enabled by nitrogen-induced polar surface stabilization, which yields a metallic MgO(111)-(1 x 1)-ON surface. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy and density functional theory studies indicate that the atomically abrupt semiconducting GaN(111)/MgO(111) interface has a Mg-O-N-Ga stacking, where the N atom is bonded to O at a top site. This specific atomic arrangement at the interface allows the cubic stacking to more effectively screen the substrate and film electric dipole moment than the hexagonal stacking, thus stabilizing the zinc blende phase even though the wurtzite phase is the ground state in the bulk.     

Über die thermische Zustandsgieichung in polaren Kristallen

The thermal equation of state is investigated for polar crystals (zinc blende and wurtzite structures). A finite crystal is considered with free charges to compensate the dipole moment of the crystal in equilibrium. The free energy is taken in the quasiharmonic approximation. A simple point-charge model for zinc oxide leads to the thermal expansion coefficients and pyroelectric constants, and to the elastic moduli, piezoelectric moduli and dielectric susceptibilities.