Self-seeding gallium oxide nanowire growth by pulsed chemical vapor deposition.

A new heteroleptic gallium (III) alkyl amidinate [monoacetamidinatodiethylgallium(III), compound 1] was found to undergo self-seeding pulsed chemical vapor deposition (p-CVD) to gallium metal above temperatures of 450 °C. Below this temperature, the mono-layer formed on the surface of silica and alumina is unreactive to itself and H2O and O2 co-reactants. With no co-reactant above 450 °C gallium metal spheres (150-500 nm) was formed in a p-CVD experiment. With the addition of short H2O pulses produced interesting morphologies and gallium metal/gallium oxide structures resembling 'ice cream cones' of varying sizes (<150-500 nm). The addition of O2 produced micron long nanowires <250 nm in width and a mat of nanoparticles on both silicon and alumina. Scanning electron micrograph of pulsed chemical vapor deposition of 1 with H2O as a co-reactant at 500 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]