Growth of CuInSe 2 nanowires without external catalyst by molecular beam epitaxy

We report the growth of CuInSe 2 nanowires (NWs) using an evaporation process. The NWs grow on top of an underlying CuInSe 2 polycrystalline layer that initially forms on Si(100) substrates with native SiO 2 . Reference samples grown after removal of the native oxide do not exhibit the formation of NWs. The polycrystalline base layer has a tetragonal chalcopyrite structure and is optically active as confirmed by x-ray diffraction and photoluminescence, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy confirms the composition and atomic structure of the CuInSe 2 NWs. Samples with NWs exhibit a reduced reflectance compared with reference samples, making them interesting for photovoltaic applications.