Investigation of the growth and in situ heating transmission electron microscopy analysis of Ag2S-catalyzed ZnS nanowires

Abstract

We investigated the semiconductor-catalyzed formation of semiconductor nanowires (NWs) - silver sulfide (Ag2S)-catalyzed zinc sulfide (ZnS) NWs - based on a vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) growth mechanism through metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) with a Ag thin film. The Ag2S-catalyzed ZnS NWs were confirmed to have a wurtzite structure with a width and length in the range of similar to 30 nm to similar to 80 nm and similar to 1 mu m, respectively. Using extensive transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analyses from plane and cross-sectional viewpoints, the ZnS NWs were determined to have a c-axis, [0001] growth direction. In addition, the catalyst at the top of the ZnS NWs was determined to consist of a Ag2S phase. To support the Ag2S-catalyzed growth of the ZnS NWs by a VLS reaction, an in situ heating TEM experiment was conducted from room temperature to 840 degrees C. During the experiment, the melting of the Ag2S catalyst in the direction of the ZnS NWs was first observed at approximately 480 degrees C along with the formation of a carbon (C) shell. Subsequently, the Ag2S catalyst melted completely into the ZnS NWs at approximately 825 degrees C. As the temperature further increased, the Ag2S and ZnS NWs continuously melted and vaporized up to 840 degrees C, leaving only the C shell behind. Finally, a possible growth mechanism was proposed based on the structural and chemical investigations. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.