Enhancing the NIR Photocurrent in Single GaAs Nanowires with Radial p-i-n Junctions by Uniaxial Strain
Journal article, 2021

III-V compound nanowires have electrical and optical properties suitable for a wide range of applications, including photovoltaics and photodetectors. Furthermore, their elastic nature allows the use of strain engineering to enhance their performance. Here we have investigated the effect of mechanical strain on the photocurrent and the electrical properties of single GaAs nanowires with radial p-i-n junctions, using a nanoprobing setup. A uniaxial tensile strain of 3% resulted in an increase in photocurrent by more than a factor of 4 during NIR illumination. This effect is attributed to a decrease of 0.2 eV in nanowire bandgap energy, revealed by analysis of the current-voltage characteristics as a function of strain. This analysis also shows how other properties are affected by the strain, including the nanowire resistance. Furthermore, electron-beam-induced current maps show that the charge collection efficiency within the nanowire is unaffected by strain measured up to 0.9%.

photocurrent

solar cells

EBIC

I- V characteristics

II I- V nanowires

strain

Author

Jonatan Holmér

Chalmers, Physics, Nano and Biophysics

Lunjie Zeng

Chalmers, Physics, Nano and Biophysics

T. Kanne

Niels Bohr Institute

P. Krogstrup

Niels Bohr Institute

J. Nygard

Niels Bohr Institute

Eva Olsson

Chalmers, Physics, Nano and Biophysics

Nano Letters

1530-6984 (ISSN) 1530-6992 (eISSN)

Vol. 2 21 9038-9043

Enabling Science and Technology through European Electron Microscopy (ESTEEM3)

European Commission (EC) (EC/H2020/823717), 2019-01-01 -- 2022-12-31.

In Situ transmissionselektronmikroskopi studier av inverkan av mekanisk töjning hos halvledande nanotrådar

Swedish Research Council (VR) (2016-04618), 2017-01-01 -- 2020-12-31.

Areas of Advance

Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

Subject Categories

Textile, Rubber and Polymeric Materials

Other Materials Engineering

Condensed Matter Physics

Infrastructure

Chalmers Materials Analysis Laboratory

DOI

10.1021/acs.nanolett.1c02468

PubMed

34704766

More information

Latest update

4/11/2023