Vapor-Phase Synthesis of Gallium Phosphide Nanowires

Gallium phosphide (GaP) nanowires were synthesized in a high yield by vapor-phase reaction of gallium vapor and phosphorus vapor at 1150 degrees C in a tube furnace system. The nanowires have diameters in the range of 25-100 nm and lengths of Lip to tens of micrometers. Twinning growth occurs in GaP nanowires, and as a result most nanowires contain a high density of twinning faults. Novel necklacelike GaP nanostructures that were formed by stringing tens of amorphous Ga-P-O microbeads upon one crystalline GaP nanowires were also found in some synthesis runs. This simple vapor-phase approach may be applied to synthesize other important group III-V compound nanowires.