# In-situ Electric-Field-Assisted Growth of GaAs Nanowires

Qiang Yu, Khalil Hassebi, Khakimjon Saidov, Ivan Erofeev, Charles Renard, Laetitia Vincent, Frank Glas, Utkur Mirsaidov, Federico Panciera

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Qiang Yu, Khalil Hassebi, Khakimjon Saidov, Ivan Erofeev, Charles Renard, et al. In-situ Electric-Field-Assisted Growth of GaAs Nanowires. Microscopy & Microanalysis 2025 Conference, M&M, Jul 2025, Salt Lake City, UT, United States. pp.1788-1789, 10.1093/mam/ozaf048.908. hal-05269374

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https://hal.science/hal-05269374v1

Submitted on 25 Sep 2025

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Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
In-situ Electric-Field-Assisted Growth of GaAs Nanowires

Qiang Yu<fnref n="1" />,*, Khalil Hassebi<fnref n="1" />, Hakim Saidov<fnref n="2" />, Ivan Erofeev<fnref n="2" />, Charles Renard<fnref n="1" />, Laetitia Vincent<fnref n="1" />, Frank Glas<fnref n="1" />, Utkur Mirsaidov<fnref n="2" />, Federico Panciera<fnref n="1" />

The vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) method for the growth of semiconductor wires was introduced by Wagner and Ellis in the 1960s<fnref n="1" />. Since then, intensive research has been carried out on the engineering of the growth of nanowires, due to their promising applications in nanotechnology<fnref n="2" />. A critical aspect for developing nanowire-based devices is the precise control of growth rates, which is set by various factors, in particular temperature and vapor fluxes. However, the interplay between nanowire size, spatial distribution, and these external conditions can make control challenging. For instance, adjustments in growth conditions, such as increasing temperature, may even yield divergent effects on growth rates, depending on the other growth parameters. Previous study³ has demonstrated that use of electric field (E-field) can alter the shape of the liquid droplet seating on the tip of Au-catalyzed Si nanowires. Yet, a fundamental question persists: how can an E-field be harnessed to directly regulate atomic-scale growth dynamics, rather than merely altering droplet morphology?

In this study, beyond commonly used methods of flux and temperature modulation, we introduce an additional external E-field³ to instantaneously to control the growth of GaAs nanowires with monolayer precision. This process is monitored in real-time using NanoMAX, a modified in-situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM)⁴. GaAs nanowires are grown epitaxially on custom-made Si (111) substrates by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition inside the TEM. The substrate is shaped as a micro-capacitor which allows us to apply an E-filed up to ~1 V/nm in the growth direction, and this strong E-field is used to achieve control faster than time needed for monolayer formation. The application of the E-field significantly alters the growth rate of the GaAs nanowires, with the changes of growth rate being related to the polarity of the applied E-field. Preliminary findings suggest that the application of a positive E-field reduces the growth rate, whereas a negative E-field increases it, compared to the growth observed in the absence of an E-field. We will present high resolution videos illustrating the control of growth induced by the E-field in GaAs nanowires. We will also delve into intriguing phenomena observed during the growth process, such as field evaporation, where atomic species may be ejected from the growth surface due to the influence of the E-field. We will discuss possible mechanisms behind these behaviors, including the interplay between electric field strength, charge distribution, and local electric forces⁵.

<footnote n="1">¹ Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Centre de Nanosciences et de Nanotechnologies, Palaiseau, France.</footnote>

<footnote n="2">² Centre for BioImaging Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore</footnote>

<footnote>* Corresponding author email: qiang.yu@universite-paris-saclay.fr</footnote>
<figure><img src="image_2.png" /><figcaption>**Fig. 1.** A: Structure of cantilever for growth of nanowires and application of E-field, B: Zoom in of nanowires approaching counter-electrode, C: growth rates of a nanowire dependent on the polarities of E-field.</figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="image_3.png" /><figcaption>**Fig. 2.** Sequence of TEM images extracted during growth of a nanowire under E-field A: Growth without field evaporation. B: evaporation of droplet and nanowire, there is shadow of nanowire due to change of nanowire's position. C: Field evaporation stopped. Scale bar = 5nm.</figcaption></figure>

References:

1. Wagner, R. S.; Ellis, W. C. Vapor-liquid-solid Mechanism of Single Crystal Growth. *Appl. Phys. Lett.* **1964**, *4* (5), 89–90. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1753975.

2. Bouwes Bavinck, M.; Jöns, K. D.; Zieliński, M.; et al. Photon Cascade from a Single Crystal Phase Nanowire Quantum Dot. *Nano Lett.* **2016**, *16* (2), 1081–1085. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.5b04217.

3. Panciera, F.; Norton, M. M.; Alam, S. B.; et al. Controlling Nanowire Growth through Electric Field-Induced Deformation of the Catalyst Droplet. *Nat Commun* **2016**, *7* (1), 12271. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms12271.

4. Harmand, J.-C.; Patriarche, G.; Glas, F.; et al. Atomic Step Flow on a Nanofacet. *Phys. Rev. Lett.* **2018**, *121* (16), 166101. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.121.166101.

5. This research was funded by the French National Research Agency, ANR, through the TEMPOS Equipex NanoMAX, and the ELEPHANT project. ETEM experiments were carried out with the NanoMAX instrument at the Centre Interdisciplinaire de Microscopie Electronique de l'Ecole polytechnique (CIMEX).