Evidence of stacking-fault distribution along an InAs nanowire using micro-focused coherent X-ray diffraction

Abstract

InAs nanowire samples grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition present a significant amount of wurtzite structure, while the zincblende lattice is known to be the stable crystal structure for the bulk material. The question of the wurtzite distribution in the sample is addressed using phase-sensitive coherent X-ray diffraction with a micro-focused beam at a synchrotron source. The simultaneous investigation of the wurtzite 10\bar{1}0, 20\bar{2}0 and 30\bar{3}0 reflections performed on a bunch of single wires shows unambiguously that the wurtzite contribution is a result of stacking faults distributed along the wire. Additional simulations lead to adjustments of the wire structural parameters, such as the wurtzite content, the strain distribution, the wire diameters and their respective orientations.