Single InGaAs nanowhiskers characterized by analytical transmission electron microscopy

Single crystal In x Ga1−x As nanowhisker were grown by metal-organic vapour-phase epitaxy on (111)B GaAs substrates using the vapour–liquid–solid growth mode. Present study is aimed to the direct evaluation of the lattice parameter, the phase, and the composition of nanowhiskers with high spatial resolution by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and analytical transmission electron microscopy including energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy in nano probe mode. The goal is the direct identification of the quantified concentrations and the local element distributions at characteristic whisker areas. In particular, chemical measurements provide insights into the segregation of the gallium and arsenic out of the gold seed particle and the presence of indium remaining in the Au particle of the as-prepared whiskers. For comparison, InGaAs nanowhiskers are characterized by high-resolution X-ray diffractometry providing the mean whisker composition information indirectly by substituting the X-ray data ...