Atomic-Scale Observation of Unusual Dislocations in GaAs-GaAsSb Heterostructured Nanowires

Cognizing the structural characteristics of a heterointerface is significant to understand the growth mechanism of heterostructured nanowires. Here, the structural characteristics of a heterointerface in GaAs-GaAsSb heterostructured nanowires were investigated by employing spherical aberration (CS)-corrected transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It is found that some unusual dislocations are formed at the heterointerface, leading to the bending of nanowires. Further, the atomically inhomogeneous distribution of Sb content near the heterointerface is revealed, which is responsible for the formation of dislocations. By applying a thermal electric system equipped in the Cs-corrected TEM, a direct observation of structural evolution at the heterointerface was enabled and the stability of GaAs-GaAsSb heterostructured nanowires was evaluated. In situ high-resolution TEM imaging indicates that the destabilization of the heterointerface occurs during nanowire annealing. This study builds a direct correlation between the nanowire heterointerfacial structure with nanowire growth behavior and its stability, which is of importance for heterostructured nanowire design for practical use.