Ordered layers in AuGa droplets in contact with GaAs(111)B substrate

Takahashi, Masamitsu; Kozu, Miwa*; Hu, W.*

Semiconductor nanowires have attracted much attention because of their potential applications to novel devices exploiting their unique structures. One of the growth techniques of semiconductor nanowires is use of the vapor liquid solid (VLS) growth, in which metal droplets work as catalyst. At growth temperatures, the metal catalyst forms liquid alloys with the substrate materials. The knowledge about the atomic structure between the droplets and the substrate is essential for understanding the growth mechanism of the VLS growth. In the present work, surface X-ray diffraction was employed to determine the interfacial structure.