Selective etching of III-V nanowires for molecular junctions

In English Selective etching of heterostructure III-V nanowires can be used to form tips and narrow gaps simultaneously on multiple nanowires on a single wafer. In this study we tested bromine based etching of gallium arsenide segments in gallium phosphide nanowires. Depending on the etchant and etching conditions, a variety of gap topologies and tip-like structures were observed. The method is compatible with wafer-scale integration of molecular electronics within existing silicon technology, offering control of materials composition, morphology and electronic band gap of the electrodes that can be made so small they might be used as contact electrodes for individual molecules. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.