Surface potential response from GaP nanowires synthesized with mixed crystal phases

In this work, we investigate variations of surface potentials along a single gallium phosphide (GaP) nanowire (NW) synthesized with a mixed crystal phase along the growth direction. GaP NWs synthesized with both wurtzite (WZ) and zincblende (ZB) phases were studied. The measurements were performed on a standard Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) set-up equipped with Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy (KPFM) module in PeakForce Tapping Mode. KPFM Measurements from two structures were analyzed. Variations of surface poten-tials were observed in a single GaP NW with WZ/ZB segments. An average difference in surface potential was 55±11 mV. This is explained by different crystal structures along the NW. The work expands the understanding of crystal structure-dependent electrical transport properties of GaP NWs. (paper)