Mismatched alloy nanowires for electronic structure tuning

Electronic structure engineering is essential for producing materials suited for efficient solid-state devices. Mismatched semiconductors offer wide tunability of electronic structure with only a small change in composition. Here, we report a combined compound-elemental source vapor transport method for synthesis of mismatched alloy nanowires (NWs) of ZnSe1-xTex across the composition range. The alloy composition can be continuously tuned by varying the growth temperature from ZnSe (x = 0) at higher temperature to ZnTe (x = 1) at lower temperature. The nanowires have structure and bandgaps consistent with their compositions, with lattice parameters varying with Vegard's law and emissions following predicted extreme bandgap bowing. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3666223]