Growth of HgTe nanowires

HgTe nanowires nucleated by Au particles have been grown on Si and GaAs substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. The wires are polycrystalline. They evolve from crooked to straight during growth and have rounded to rectangular cross-sections. The widths are in the range 20–500 nm, with lengths up to 4 μm. The height of the nanowires is typically less than the width. The nanowires have been characterized by scanning electron microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The effects of substrate material, substrate preparation and growth conditions have been investigated.