Multi-colour light emission from InGaN nanowires monolithically grown on Si substrate by MBE

Abstract InGaN nanostructures are among the most promising candidates for visible solid-state lighting and renewable energy sources. To date, there is still a lack of information about the influence of the growth conditions on the physical properties of these nanostructures. Here, we extend the study of InGaN nanowires growth directly on Si substrates by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. The results of the study showed that under appropriate growth conditions a change in the growth temperature of just 10 °C leads to a significant change in the structural and optical properties of the nanowires. InGaN nanowires with the areas containing 4%–10% of In with increasing tendency towards the top are formed at the growth temperature of 665 °C, while at the growth temperatures range of 655 °C–660 °C the spontaneously core–shell NWs are typically presented. In the latter case, the In contents in the core and the shell are about an order of magnitude different (e.g. 35% and 4% for 655 °C, respectively). The photoluminescence study of the NWs demonstrates a shift in the spectra from blue to orange in accordance with an increase of In content. Based on these results, a novel approach to the monolithic growth of In x Ga 1− x N NWs with multi-colour light emission on Si substrates by setting a temperature gradient over the substrate surface is proposed.