Single Crystal InSb Nanowires: Synthesis, Characterization, Properties and Applications

We report the first large-scale synthesis of single crystal InSb nanowires using vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) transport process. Narrow growth window for achieving single crystal InSb nanowires has been discovered. Our batch produced InSb nanowires are 50-180 nm in diameter and 10-30 μ in length. Materials composition analysis by Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDAX) reveals that the as-grown InSb nanowires are pure single crystals of InSb. Structural analysis by High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM) and Selected Area Electron Diffraction (SAED) reveals that InSb nanowires have body-centered-cubic (BCC) crystal structure with cubic unit cell length of 10.15 A. The nanowire growth direction is found to be [001], 45 degrees toward the most dense lattice planes in BCC structure.