Catalytic synthesis and photoluminescence of beta-Ga2O3 nanowires

Monoclinic gallium oxide (beta -Ga2O3) nanowires were synthesized by heat t reating a composite material of GaAs and pre-evaporated Au at 1240 degreesC in dry oxygen atmosphere. The catalytic Au metal generated liquid nanoclus ters that serve as reactive sites confining and directing the growth of bet a -Ga2O3 nanowires during the vapor-liquid-solid growth process. The beta - Ga2O3 nanowires have diameters ranging from 20 to 50 nm and lengths of seve ral micrometers. Photoluminescence measurement under excitation at 250 nm s hows that the bulk beta -Ga2O3 nanowires have a stable blue emission at 475 nm and an ultraviolet emission at 330 nm, which may be related to the defe cts such as the oxygen vacancy and the gallium-oxygen vacancy pair. (C) 200 1 American Institute of Physics.