Different growth regimes in InP nanowire growth mediated by Ag nanoparticles.

We report on the existence of two different regimes in one-step Ag-seeded InP nanowire growth. The vapor-liquid-solid-mechanism is present at larger In precursor flows and temperatures, ∼500 °C, yielding high aspect ratio and pure wurtzite InP nanowires with a semi-spherical metal particle at the thin apex. Periodic diameter oscillations can be achieved under extreme In supersaturations at this temperature range, showing the presence of a liquid catalyst. However, under lower temperatures and In precursor flows, large diameter InP nanowires with mixed wurtzite/zincblende segments are obtained, similarly to In-assisted growth. Chemical composition analysis suggest that In-rich droplet formation is catalyzed at the substrate surface via Ag nanoparticles; this process might be facilitated by the sulfur contamination detected in these nanoparticles. Furthermore, part of the original Ag nanoparticle remains solid and is embedded inside the actual catalyst, providing an in situ method to switch growth mechanisms upon changing In precursor flow. Nevertheless, our Ag-seeded InP nanowires exhibit overall optical emission spectra consistent with the observed structural properties and similar to Au-catalyzed InP nanowires. We thus show that Ag nanoparticles may be a suitable replacement for Au in InP nanowire growth.

Spontaneous periodic diameter oscillations in InP nanowires: the role of interface instabilities.

We have observed that thin InP nanowires generated by vapor-liquid-solid growth display spontaneous periodic diameter oscillations when large group III supersaturations are used. Diameter variations are associated with a large number of stacking faults and crystallographic phase changes(wurtzite/zinc-blende); also the axial distance between oscillations depends on the indium precursor flow used during the run. We attribute the morphology changes to a substantial deformation of the triple phase line (vapor-liquid-solid) at the catalyst nanoparticle edge originated from multistep nucleation during growth. The deformation alters the mechanical force balance acting on the nanoparticle during growth in such a way that the particle displaces from the nanowire top and wets the nanowire sidewall. Subsequently, as catalytic growth occurs at the sidewall, the associated increase in diameter will eventually push the NP back to its original wire-top position until the onset of a new instability at the triple phase line.

Mechanical deformation of nanoscale metal rods: when size and shape matter.

Face centered cubic metals deform mainly by propagating partial dislocations generating planar fault ribbons. How do metals deform if the size is smaller than the fault ribbons? We studied the elongation of Au and Pt nanorods by in situ electron microscopy and ab initio calculations. Planar fault activation barriers are so low that, for each temperature, a minimal rod size is required to become active for releasing elastic energy. Surface effects dominate deformation energetics; system size and shape determine the preferred fault gliding directions which induce different tensile and compressive behavior.

Intrinsic stability of the smallest possible silver nanotube.

Recently, Lagos et al. [Nature Nanotech. 4, 149 (2009)] reported the discovery of the smallest possible Ag nanotube with a square cross section. Ab initio density functional theory calculations strongly support that the stability of these hollow structures is structurally intrinsic and not the result of contamination by light atoms. We also report the first experimental observation of the theoretically predicted corrugation of the hollow structure. Quantum conductance calculations predict a unique signature of 3.6 G0 for this new family of nanotubes.

Enhanced Eshelby twist on thin Wurtzite InP nanowires and measurement of local crystal rotation.

We have performed a detailed study of the lattice distortions of InP wurtzite nanowires containing an axial screw dislocation. Eshelby predicted that this kind of system should show a crystal rotation due to the dislocation induced torque. We have measured the twisting rate and the dislocation Burgers vector on individual wires, revealing that nanowires with a 10-nm radius have a twist up to 100% larger than estimated from elasticity theory. The strain induced by the deformation has a Mexican-hat-like geometry, which may create a tube-like potential well for carriers.

Temperature effects on the occurrence of long interatomic distances in atomic chains formed from stretched gold nanowires.

The origin of long interatomic distances in suspended gold atomic chains formed from stretched nanowires remains the object of debate despite the large amount of theoretical and experimental work. Here, we report new atomic resolution electron microscopy observations acquired at room and liquid-nitrogen temperatures and theoretical results from ab initio quantum molecular dynamics on chain formation and stability. These new data are suggestive that the long distances are due to contamination by carbon atoms originating from the decomposition of adsorbed hydrocarbon molecules.

Spatial carrier distribution in InP/GaAs type II quantum dots and quantum posts.

We performed a detailed investigation of the structural and optical properties of multi-layers of InP/GaAs quantum dots, which present a type II interface arrangement. Transmission electronic microscopy analysis has revealed relatively large dots that coalesce forming so-called quantum posts when the GaAs layer between the InP layers is thin. We observed that the structural properties and morphology affect the resulting radiative lifetime of the carriers in our systems. The carrier lifetimes are relatively long, as expected for type II systems, as compared to those observed for single layer InP/GaAs quantum dots. The interface intermixing effect has been pointed out as a limiting factor for obtaining an effective spatial separation of electrons and holes in the case of single layer InP/GaAs quantum-dot samples. In the present case this effect seems to be less critical due to the particular carrier wavefunction distribution along the structures.

Characterization of interface abruptness and material properties in catalytically grown III-V nanowires: exploiting plasmon chemical shift.

We have studied the assessment of chemical composition changes in III-V heterostructured semiconductor nanowires (NWs) with nanometric spatial resolution using transmission electron microscopy methods. These materials represent a challenge for conventional spectroscopy techniques due to their high sensitivity to electron beam irradiation. Radiation damage strongly limits the exposure time to a few (5-10) s, which reduces the sensitivity of the traditionally used x-ray spectroscopy. The rather low counting statistics results in significant errors bars for EDS chemical quantification (5-10%) and interface width determination (few nanometers). Plasmon chemical shift is ideal in this situation, as its measurement requires very short exposure times (approximately 100 ms) and the plasmon peak energy can be measured with high precision (approximately 20 meV in this work). This high sensitivity allows the detection of subtle changes (1-2%) in composition or even the detection of a small plasmon energy (33 +/- 7) meV change along usually assumed pure and homogeneous InAs segments. We have applied this approach to measure interface widths in heterostructure InAs/InP NWs grown using metal catalysts and also to determine the timescale (approximately 10 s) in which beam irradiation induces material damage in these wires. In particular, we have detected small As concentrations (4.4 +/- 0.5)% in the final InP segment close to the Au catalyst, which leads to the conclusion that As diffuses through the metal nanoparticle during growth.

Temperature effects on the atomic arrangement and conductance of atomic-size gold nanowires generated by mechanical stretching.

We have studied the changes induced by thermal effects in the structural and transport response of Au nanowires generated by mechanical elongation. We have used time-resolved atomic resolution transmission electron microscopy imaging and quantum conductance measurement using a mechanically controllable break junction. Our results showed remarkable differences in the NW evolution for experiments realized at 150 and 300 K, which modifies drastically the conductance response during elongation. Molecular dynamics and electronic transport calculations were used to consistently correlate the observed structural and conductance behavior. These results emphasize that it is essential to take into account the precise atomic arrangement of nanocontacts generated by mechanical stretching to understand electrical transport properties. Also, our study shows that much care must be taken when comparing results obtained in different experimental conditions, mainly different temperatures.

Aligned carbon nanotube films: production and optical and electronic properties.

Carbon nanotube material can now be produced in macroscopic quantities. However, the raw material has a disordered structure, which restricts investigations of both the properties and applications of the nanotubes. A method has been developed to produce thin films of aligned carbon nanotubes. The tubes can be aligned either parallel or perpendicular to the surface, as verified by scanning electron microscopy. The parallel aligned surfaces are birefringent, reflecting differences in the dielectric function along and normal to the tubes. The electrical resistivities are anisotropic as well, being smaller along the tubes than perpendicular to them, because of corresponding differences in the electronic transport properties.

III-V semiconductor nanowire growth: does arsenic diffuse through the metal nanoparticle catalyst?

The synthesis of III-V semiconductor nanowires (NWs) is based on the delivery of atoms from a vapor phase to a catalytic metal nanoparticle (NP). Although there has been extensive work on such systems, the incorporation pathways of group V atoms remain an open issue. Here, we have performed a detailed structural and chemical analysis of the catalyst NP in NWs where we switch the V atomic element during growth (heterostructured InP/InAs/InP NWs). Our experimental results indicate a group V pathway where these atoms actually diffuse through the catalytic NP by formation of a stable phase containing As under growth conditions. We have observed distinct NW growth behavior within a narrow temperature range (30 degrees C) suggesting a transition between vapor-liquid-solid and vapor-solid-solid growth modes.

Structural and optical characterization of strained free-standing InP nanowires.

The structural and optical properties of high-quality crystalline strained InP nanowires are reported in this article. The nanowires were produced by the vapor-liquid-solid growth method in a chemical-beam epitaxy reactor, using 20 nm gold nanoparticles as catalysts. Polarization-resolved photoluminescence experiments were carried out to study the optical properties of the InP nanowires. These experiments revealed a large blue shift of 74 meV of the first electron-to-heavy hole optical transition in the nanowires, which cannot be solely explained by quantum size effects. The blue shift is mainly attributed to the presence of biaxial compressive strain in the inward radial direction of the InP nanowires. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy Electron and selected area electron diffraction experiments show that the nanowires have high crystal quality and grow along a [001] axes. These experiments also confirmed the presence of 1.8% compressive radial strain and 2% tensile longitudinal strain in the nanowires. A simple theoretical model including both quantum confinement and strain effects consistently describes the actual energy position of the InP nanowires optical emission.

Interaction between lamellar twinning and catalyst dynamics in spontaneous core-shell InGaP nanowires.

Semiconductor nanowires oriented along the [211] direction usually present twins parallel to their axis. For group IV nanowires this kind of twin allows the formation of a catalyst-nanowire interface composed of two equivalent {111} facets. For III-V nanowires, however, the twin will generate two facets with different polarities. In order to keep the <211> orientation stable, a balance in growth rates for these different facets must be reached. We report here the observation of stable, micron-long <211>-oriented InGaP nanowires with a spontaneous core-shell structure. We show that stacking fault formation in the crystal region corresponding to the {111}A facet termination provides a stable NW/NP interface for growth along the <211> direction. During sample cool down, however, the catalyst migrates to a lateral {111}B facet, allowing the growth of branches perpendicular to the initial orientation. In addition to that, we show that the core-shell structure is non-concentric, most likely due to the asymmetry between the facets formed in the NW sidewall; this effect generates stress along the nanowire, which can be relieved through bending.

Robotic surgery and resident training.

BACKGROUND: Robotic technology promises to have an important future in surgery, but few residency programs incorporate robotics into surgical training. We sought to compare the speed and accuracy with which junior residents could perform laparoscopic tasks using both a robotic surgical device (Zeus MicroWrist) and conventional laparoscopic instruments. METHODS: Twelve residents performed exercises of progressive difficulty in an inanimate model using both the robot and conventional laparoscopy. Analysis of variance statistical analysis was used to compare task time and suturing accuracy scores. RESULTS: Grasping and suturing exercises were performed significantly faster with conventional laparoscopic instruments than with the robot. However, no difference in task time was noted for intracorporeal knot tying. Accuracy scores for suturing were higher for the robot. CONCLUSIONS: Junior residents can be instructed easily and quickly in both robotic and conventional advanced laparoscopic skills. The utility of robotic surgical devices in resident training requires further investigation.

Development of a quartz tuning-fork-based force sensor for measurements in the tens of nanoNewton force range during nanomanipulation experiments.

Understanding the mechanical properties of nanoscale systems requires new experimental and theoretical tools. In particular, force sensors compatible with nanomechanical testing experiments and with sensitivity in the nN range are required. Here, we report the development and testing of a tuning-fork-based force sensor for in situ nanomanipulation experiments inside a scanning electron microscope. The sensor uses a very simple design for the electronics and it allows the direct and quantitative force measurement in the 1-100 nN force range. The sensor response is initially calibrated against a nN range force standard, as, for example, a calibrated Atomic Force Microscopy cantilever; subsequently, applied force values can be directly derived using only the electric signals generated by the tuning fork. Using a homemade nanomanipulator, the quantitative force sensor has been used to analyze the mechanical deformation of multi-walled carbon nanotube bundles, where we analyzed forces in the 5-40 nN range, measured with an error bar of a few nN.

Spatial modulation of above-the-gap cathodoluminescence in InP nanowires.

We report the observation of light emission on wurtzite InP nanowires excited by fast electrons. The experiments were performed in a scanning transmission electron microscope using an in-house-built cathodoluminescence detector. Besides the exciton emission, at 850 nm, emission above the band gap from 400 to 800 nm was observed. In particular, this broad emission presented systematic periodic modulations indicating variations in the local excitation probability. The physical origin of the detected emission is not clear. Measurements of the spatial variation of the above-the-gap emission points to the formation of leaky cavity modes of a plasmonic nature along the nanowire length, indicating the wave nature of the excitation. We propose a phenomenological model, which fits closely the observed spatial variations.