Synthesis of Single Crystal GaN Nanowires

The straight and curved gallium nitride (GaN) nanowires were successfully synthesized by controlling the gallium/nitrogen reactant ratio via a chemical vapour deposition method. The structure and morphology of nanowires were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electronic microscopy (TEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The straight and curved GaN nanowires are composed of wurtzite and a zinc blende structure, respectively. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra of zinc blende GaN nanowires showed a strong UV emission band at 400 nm, indicating potential application in optoelectronic devices.