Evolution of GaAs nanowire geometry in selective area epitaxy

Nanowires (NWs) grown via selective area epitaxy (SAE) show great promise for applications in next generation electronic and photonic devices, yet the design of NW-based devices can be complicated due to the complex kinetics involved in the growth process. The presence of the patterned selective area mask, as well as the changing geometry of the NWs themselves during growth, leads to non-linear growth rates which can vary significantly based on location in the mask and the NW size. Here, we present a systematic study of the evolution of GaAs NW geometry during growth as a function of NW size and pitch. We highlight a breakdown of NW uniformity at extended growth times, which is accelerated for NW arrays with larger separations. This work is intended to outline potential fundamental growth challenges in achieving desired III-V NW array patterns and uniformity via SAE.