Spontaneous Transition from Conformal to Two-Dimensional Growth in Ge/GeSn Core/Shell Nanowires

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Assali, Simone, Koelling, Sebastian, Andelic, Milenka, Luo, Lu, Botton, Gianluigi, Moutanabbir, Oussama
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Assali, Simone
Koelling, Sebastian
Andelic, Milenka
Luo, Lu
Botton, Gianluigi
Moutanabbir, Oussama
author_facet Assali, Simone
Koelling, Sebastian
Andelic, Milenka
Luo, Lu
Botton, Gianluigi
Moutanabbir, Oussama
contents GeSn semiconductors are group-IV isovalent alloys that offer remarkable tunability of optoelectronic properties across the entire infrared spectrum, while remaining fully compatible with silicon processing standards. These attributes make GeSn a promising platform for scalable sensing, imaging, and communication technologies. Yet, the influence of dimensionality on GeSn crystal growth remains poorly understood, limiting the development of integrated nanoscale infrared devices. Here, we reveal the spontaneous formation of hitherto unreported ultra-thin GeSn fins with sub-30 nm thickness during vapor-phase growth on Ge nanowire substrates. A transition from the typical conformal GeSn shell to distinct fin-like structures occurs along the nanowire growth axis and is accompanied by ordered twin defects extending longitudinally and laterally, inducing a transition from diamond to hexagonal-like crystal structure. The fins exhibit uniform Sn incorporation of approximately 16 at.% throughout their volume, indicating high compositional homogeneity. These findings uncover an anisotropic growth regime in metastable GeSn alloys, enriching the fundamental understanding of nanoscale epitaxy.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2512_06900
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Spontaneous Transition from Conformal to Two-Dimensional Growth in Ge/GeSn Core/Shell Nanowires
Assali, Simone
Koelling, Sebastian
Andelic, Milenka
Luo, Lu
Botton, Gianluigi
Moutanabbir, Oussama
Materials Science
GeSn semiconductors are group-IV isovalent alloys that offer remarkable tunability of optoelectronic properties across the entire infrared spectrum, while remaining fully compatible with silicon processing standards. These attributes make GeSn a promising platform for scalable sensing, imaging, and communication technologies. Yet, the influence of dimensionality on GeSn crystal growth remains poorly understood, limiting the development of integrated nanoscale infrared devices. Here, we reveal the spontaneous formation of hitherto unreported ultra-thin GeSn fins with sub-30 nm thickness during vapor-phase growth on Ge nanowire substrates. A transition from the typical conformal GeSn shell to distinct fin-like structures occurs along the nanowire growth axis and is accompanied by ordered twin defects extending longitudinally and laterally, inducing a transition from diamond to hexagonal-like crystal structure. The fins exhibit uniform Sn incorporation of approximately 16 at.% throughout their volume, indicating high compositional homogeneity. These findings uncover an anisotropic growth regime in metastable GeSn alloys, enriching the fundamental understanding of nanoscale epitaxy.
title Spontaneous Transition from Conformal to Two-Dimensional Growth in Ge/GeSn Core/Shell Nanowires
topic Materials Science
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.06900