Epitaxial electrodeposition of high-aspect-ratio CU2O(110) nanostructures on InP(111)

Epitaxial cuprous oxide nanostructures with high aspect ratio were deposited electrochemically oil n-InP(111) from aqueous solution at room temperature. High-resolution X-ray diffraction shows that the Cu2O and InP form three equivalent epitaxial orientation relationships that are rotated 120degrees relative to each other: Cu2O(110)[100]parallel to InP(111)[110], Cu2O(110)[100]parallel to InP(111)[101], and Cu2O(110)[100]parallel to InP(111)[011]. The size and aspect ratio of the CLhO nanostructures depend on the applied deposition current density. At a deposition current density of 0.125 mA/cm(2), uniformly sized nanostructures 30 nm wide and 1000 nm long were obtained. Transmission electron microscopy reveals all amorphous, oxygen-rich interlayer and a crystalline Cu3P layer between the Cu2O and InP.