Nanowire CVD Growth Designer

Precursor Gas

Growth temperature 550 °C

Precursor partial pressure 1.0×

Catalyst droplet diameter 28 nm

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Growth rate

0.0 nm/s

Wire length

0 nm

Wire diameter

28 nm

Layers added

How it works

This models vapor–liquid–solid (VLS) growth: the mechanism behind most catalytically-grown semiconductor nanowires (Si, GaAs, ZnO). A molten metal droplet (e.g. Au) sits atop a substrate. Precursor gas decomposes at the droplet's surface, dissolves into it, and — once supersaturated — precipitates crystalline solid at the liquid/solid interface, pushing the droplet upward and leaving a nanowire behind.

Growth rate:  dL/dt = k0 · P^n · exp(-Ea / kB T)
Wire diameter ≈ catalyst droplet diameter d
Arrhenius:    k(T) = k0 exp(-Ea / kB T),  Ea ≈ 1.6 eV (typical Si-VLS)

Temperature — sets the Arrhenius rate constant; too low and precursor won't crack fast enough, too high and unwanted side-wall (vapor-solid) deposition roughens the wire.
Precursor pressure — linear-ish supply term; more precursor at the droplet surface raises the local supersaturation driving precipitation.
Droplet diameter — the catalyst nanoparticle sets the nanowire's final diameter almost 1:1, which is exactly why this technique gives such precise size control over the finished nanomaterial.

This is the "controlled synthesis" half of nanomaterial design in practice — the same growth-rate law (Reaction Rate = k[A][B]) used for planar CVD applies locally at the droplet interface, just concentrated into one catalytic hotspot instead of an entire wafer surface.

Au catalyst droplet Nanowire (solid) Substrate

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