It was noted that nanowire samples grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition exhibited a significant amount of wurtzite structure, although the zincblende lattice was the stable crystal structure for bulk material. This puzzling wurtzite distribution was addressed by using phase-sensitive coherent X-ray diffraction with a micro-focused beam at a synchrotron source. Simultaneous investigation of the wurtzite 10•0, 20•0 and 30•0 reflections, performed on a bunch of single wires, showed unambiguously that the wurtzite contribution was the result of stacking faults distributed along the wire. Additional simulations led to adjustments of the wire structural parameters, such as the wurtzite content, the strain distribution, the wire diameter and their respective orientations.

Evidence of Stacking-Fault Distribution Along an InAs Nanowire using Micro-Focused Coherent X-ray Diffraction. V.Chamard, J.Stangl, S.Labat, B.Mandl, R.T.Lechner, T.H.Metzger: Journal of Applied Crystallography, 2008, 41[2], 272-80