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In this paper, the authors consider the processes that occur at the interfaces during nanowires (NWs) growth by the vapor→droplet liquid→solid mechanism (VLS), and how that leads to the faceting of the sidewall surface of the NWs. It is shown that faceting is possible only when the wetting scenario of the VLS growth of the NWs is accomplished due to the exit of the oblique closed‐packed faces to the sidewall surface of the NWs. Those oblique closed‐packed faces emerge at the crystallization front near the triple phase line. The faceting of the sidewall surface of the NWs can be controlled (i) by changing the contact angle of the catalyst droplet on the top of the NWs with the appropriate catalysts; (ii) by introducing the impurities into the gas phase, which decreases the free surface energy of the catalyst droplet; or (iii) by changing the temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ICPS series traditionally encompasses a variety of topics spanning device physics, quantum technologies, spin physics, wide bandgap materials, light-matter interactions, and other branches of materials science, physics and engineering. It is my pleasure to write this preface to the Special Section in the May 2023 issue of I pss(b) i , dedicated to the collection of selected works presented during the 35 SP th sp International Conference on Physics of Semiconductors (ICPS) held in Sydney, Australia in 2022. As we are preparing for the next meeting in Ottawa, Canada, the collection of papers should inspire our junior colleagues, that not only semiconductor physics is here to stay, but in fact, it is a multi-disciplinary and burgeoning field of research. [Extracted from the article]