PNNL

Abstract

Amorphous GaSb nanofiber networks can be fabricated by ion irradiation of bulk GaSb, however the nanofibers require crystallization to be useful for implementation in a variety of optoelectronic devices. We report that the thermal annealing of GaSb nanofibers at very low temperature, over 450°C below the bulk melting temperature of GaSb, results in complete chemical decomposition of the nanofibers into crystalline Sb cores surrounded by amorphous shells. Although temperature shifts in phase equilibria of nanoparticles are expected, the complete decomposition of GaSb nanofibers at low temperature gives insight into the highly sensitive interaction between material thermodynamics and size-dependant material properties.