Stoichiometric effect on electrical and near-infrared photodetection properties of full-composition-range GaAs_1-xSb_x nanowires

As one of the most important narrow bandgap ternary semiconductors, GaAs_1-xSb_x nanowires (NWs) have attracted extensive attention recently, due to the superior hole mobility and the tunable bandgap, which covers the whole near-infrared (NIR) region, for technological applications in next-generation high-performance electronics and NIR photodetection. However, it is still a challenge to the synthesis of high-quality GaAs_1-xSb_x NWs across the entire range of composition, resulting in the lack of correlation investigation among stoichiometry, microstructure, electronics, and NIR photodetection. Here, we demonstrate the success growth of high-quality GaAs_1-xSb_x NWs with full composition range by adopting a simple and low-cost surfactant-assisted solid source chemical vapor deposition method. All of the as-prepared NWs are uniform, smooth, and straight, without any phase segregation in all stoichiometric compositions. The lattice constants of each NW composition have been well correlated with the chemical stoichiometry and confirmed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectrum. Moreover, with the increase of Sb concentration, the hole mobility of the as-fabricated field-effect-transistors and the responsivity and detectivity of the as-fabricated NIR photodetectors increase accordingly. All the results suggest a careful stoichiometric design is required for achieving optimal NW device performances.