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Compound material synthesis and integration

The hows and whys of generating new nanomaterials

With a strong foundation in group III-V semiconductor vapour-phase synthesis and heterointegration, we explore earth-abundant semiconductors and ferroics for digital and energy applications. In situ investigations using e.g., ETEM and synchrotron X-rays provide atomic-scale understanding of the crystal growth process.

Research areas:

Visualising growth and function of nanostructures

In situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) provides unique possibilities for visualising, at the atomic scale, the formation of inorganic nanocrystals. With this technique, we aim to understand the processes controlling structure, compositions as well as size and shape for nanostructures. The ultimate goal is to design materials and give them specific properties by controlling exactly how their atoms are placed. Similarly, in situ TEM studies can also provide information on the function of nanomaterial surfaces in, e.g. heterogeneous catalysis applications.  

Collage of three images of nanoparticle at atomic resolution
Rapid conversion of Ag-Cu into a Ag-Cu3P nanoparticle upon exposure to phosphine, imaged at atomic resolution. By: Michael Seifner, https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.1c09179

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III–V semiconductor nanowires

Fabrication of high-quality III–V semiconductor nanowires primarily using metal-organic vapour phase epitaxy or chemical beam epitaxy has been a key research area within NanoLund since before the year 2000. More than 20 years of experience and focus is resulting in high-quality nanowire structures of virtually all III-V element combinations and heterostructures with atomically sharp interfaces. We use extensive modelling in order to understand growth rates, polytype formation (crystal modifications that differ in stacking sequence only), and composition as a function of growth conditions; these connections to theory are not only important from a fundamental materials science perspective but are also crucial for the controlled and reproducible fabrication of nanowires. Control of both crystal structure and chemical composition gives unique possibilities to achieve new electronic devices, solar cell material, thermoelectric and quantum physics devices.

Nanowires on a black background.
Array of diameter-modulated gallium antimonide nanowires imaged by scanning electron microscopy. Credit: Sebastian Lehmann

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Perovskite nanowire growth

Metal halide perovskites are most famous for their rapid development in solar cells, but they are also promising materials for X-ray scintillation detectors and other optoelectronic devices. We are synthesising CsPbBr3 nanowire arrays using solution growth, by using anodised aluminum oxide nanopores as templates. The crystals grow inside the pores as well as outside as free-standing nanowires. We then process these into devices such as scintillators, transistors and photodetectors.

Three images showing growth of nanowires.
Freestanding CsPbBr3 nanowires. Left: Cross-sectional SEM of as-grown nanowires. Middle: Cross-sectional optical microscopy (not false colored) of blue-green heterostructured nanowires. Single nanowire transistor. By Zhaojun Zhang and Nils Lamers.

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Ultra-wide bandgap semiconductors

 

Transitional metal ferroics

Atomic-resolution recording of gallium phosphide growth in the Lund ETEM

The growth is seeded by a silver-cupper phosphide nanoparticle (Ag: dark bottom left, Cu3P: lighter, top right), so that a three-component nanostructure is formed after the growth of the gallium phosphide nanowire (top left). Credit: Michael Seifner, https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.3c00140