Directionally controlled growth of nanowhiskers

A method of growing a nanowhisker, comprising:

• providing a catalytic particle on an (001) substrate surface;
• and establishing growth conditions wherein heat is applied and constituent materials are introduced in gaseous form so as to grow a nanowhisker having at least a base portion of a III-V semiconductor compound from the catalytic particle, wherein nucleation conditions at the onset of growth are regulated such that the base portion of the nanowhisker grows from the substrate surface in an <001> direction.

A method of growing a nanowhisker, comprising:

• providing a substrate having a major surface defined by a predetermined crystal plane;
• disposing a catalytic particle on the substrate surface;
• and establishing growth conditions wherein heat is applied and constituent materials are introduced in gaseous form so as to grow at least a base portion of a nanowhisker from the substrate surface via the catalytic particle in a <001> direction that is a non-preferential direction of growth for the nanowhisker, wherein, prior to establishment of growth conditions, a mask of passivating material is formed on the substrate surface to inhibit bulk growth that would compete with growth of the nanowhisker in said <001> direction, and the mask is a carbon containing material that is evaporated on the substrate surface to provide a thin layer that contains carbon.

A method of growing a nanowhisker, comprising:

• disposing a catalytic particle on an (001) substrate surface;
• and establishing growth conditions wherein heat is applied and constituent materials are introduced in gaseous form, so as to grow at least a base portion of a nanowhisker including a III-V semiconductor compound from the catalytic particle in an <001> direction relative to the substrate surface, wherein prior to establishment of growth conditions, a mask of passivating material is formed on the substrate surface to inhibit bulk growth of the semiconductor compound on the substrate surface.

A method comprising:

• providing a substrate having a major surface defined by a predetermined crystal plane;
• and growing a nanowhisker from the substrate surface by a MOVPE VLS process such that at least a base portion of the nanowhisker grows in a non-preferential growth direction other than a <111> B direction from the substrate surface, wherein the non-preferential growth direction comprises a direction normal to the substrate surface and the nanowhisker comprises a III-V semiconductor nanowhisker, and wherein the crystal plane comprises an (001) plane and the non-preferential growth direction comprises a <001> direction relative to the substrate surface.