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CHARACTERIZATION OF GERMANIUM NANOWIRES SYNTHESIZED USING COPPER AS CATALYST METAL

MetadataDetails
Publication Date2015-01-01
JournalQuĂ­mica Nova
AuthorsRiama Coelho Gouveia, Hanay Kamimura, Rafael Munhoz, Ariano De Giovanni Rodrigues, E. R. Leite
InstitutionsFederal Institute of SĂŁo Paulo, Universidade Federal de SĂŁo Carlos
Citations2

This paper presents reliable synthesis of germanium nanowires by the vapor-liquid-solid method using copper as an alternative catalyst to gold, the most commonly used metal. The morphological study showed long range single-crystalline germanium nanowires with diamond structure and diameters ranging from 20 nm to 80 nm and lengths in tenths of a micrometer, which was much larger than the cross-section. In an investigation of electronic properties, devices built from a thin film of nanowires were studied and the semiconductor behavior of the samples confirmed, with variable range hopping identified as the main transport mechanism. Additionally, metal-nanowire contact behavior - ohmic or with Schottky barrier - was found to depend on the metal used in the device. Therefore, the possibility of controlling current-voltage behavior combined with the good crystalline quality of the nanowires renders these nanostructures an attractive option for future electronic and optoelectronic applications.